UPDATE 1-Italy's Di Maio to step down as 5-Star leader on Wednesday -source

Luigi di Maio will step down as leader of Italy's co-governing 5-Star movement on Wednesday, a senior 5-Star source said. Di Maio, who is also foreign minister, is expected to meet other 5-Star ministers during the morning and is due to announce his resignation at a party meeting in the afternoon, several newspapers reported.

Di Maio and his spokesman declined to comment. Italian government bond yields jumped 5-8 bps across the yield curve on the reports.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said he would respect any decision his foreign minister made. "I am sure he would take such an initiative with great responsibility," Conte told Italian radio RTL 102.5, declining to comment further.

While Di Maio's resignation is not expected to bring down the government, it would underscore deep divisions within 5-Star. The party, the largest in Italy's ruling coalition, has been hit by rising defections and plummeting poll ratings.

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