THE trial of former French president Jacques Chirac on corruption charges has been postponed until June.

The trial of former French President Jacques Chirac on corruption charges has been postponed until June.

FRANCE’S top constitutional watchdog has upheld laws banning gay marriage.

France’s top constitutional watchdog has upheld laws banning gay marriage.

Looting, deadly prison riots and street chaos engulfed Tunisia the day after mass protests forced its strongman to flee.

Tunisia’s president has left power for good, the president of the country’s Constitutional Court said today, declaring that the leader of the lower house of parliament would assume power until elections are held in two months.

The controversial French bill raising the minimum retirement age to 62 was formally approved by the country’s constitutional court today, opening the way for President Nicolas Sarkozy to make it law.

The French Senate today overwhelmingly backed a bill banning the wearing of the full Islamic veil in public.

A bill to outlaw the Islamic burka garment is to be voted on today in the French Senate.

France’s Constitutional Council struck down a tax on carbon dioxide emissions that was to have gone into effect on January 1, part of President Nicolas Sarkozy’s plans to slash the country’s output of greenhouse gases.

An al-Qaida-linked group said it carried out the Algerian truck bombings that killed at least 26 people in carefully timed blasts that drew swift international condemnation.

Fresh off a whirlwind yachting break, French president-elect Nicolas Sarkozy returned to work with a meeting due today with Tony Blair.

French presidential candidate Nicolas Sarkozy lengthened his lead over his chief two rivals, according to a poll released today, as all three sought to broaden their electoral base in the volatile race.

French MPs adopted a tough immigration law that makes it harder for foreigners to remain in France or bring in their families, but easier for those with special talents.

French lawmakers adopted a tough immigration law today that makes it harder for foreigners to remain in France or bring in their families, but easier for those with special talents.

FRANCE'S Constitutional Council yesterday signed off on a contested employment law that has sparked massive protests, leaving President Jacques Chirac with the tough decision of what to do next.

France’s Constitutional Council was today expected to rule on whether to strike down the government’s new job contract for youths, which has prompted massive protests.

French unions and students yesterday ordered a fresh round of strikes and demonstrations to pressure President Jacques Chirac to reject a new type of job contract, adding momentum to their swelling nationwide movement against the measure.

FRENCH union and student leaders, emboldened by a million-strong march and nationwide strike, yesterday called for a new day of action next Tuesday to increase pressure on the government to withdraw a contested new job contract for youths.

French police clashed with youths protesting a government jobs plan yesterday in an hours-long melee in the French capital that left nine officers injured, one hit in the face with a paving stone, officials said.

Denmark will hold its EU constitution referendum on September 27, Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said today.

More than 900 MPs were summoned to Versailles Palace for a landmark vote to clear the way for a referendum on whether France adopts the EU constitution.

Algeria’s President Abdelaziz Bouteflika was re-elected to a second term of office in a landslide victory, the Interior Ministry announced.

Voter turnout for the French presidential runoff is set to surpass the level of both the first round on April 21 - when a record 28% of voters abstained - and in the 1995 election.

Cambodia's Senate has approved a law on creating a tribunal of judges to try the leaders of the murderous Khmer Rouge regime of the 1970s.