A French satirical newspaper was today cleared in a case brought by Muslims angered by its publication of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed.

A Paris court heard opening arguments today in a defamation trial against a French satirical weekly that reprinted caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed that had stoked outrage and violence across the Islamic world last year.

French President Jacques Chirac today asked the media to avoid offending religious beliefs as a French newspaper reprinted caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed that have sparked violent protests in the Muslim world.

A French court today threw out a law suit by five Muslim organisations aimed at blocking a French newspaper from publishing caricatures of the prophet Mohammed that have led to violent protests worldwide.