Chirac set to cull cabinet after election blow

FRENCH President Jacques Chirac was last night preparing to wield the axe on his cabinet after his party took a hammering in local elections.

Decisions were expected quickly from Mr Chirac, who met discreetly with Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin himself a possible candidate for the chop.

The official word from Mr Chirac's office was only that the president was working with Mr Raffarin "on decisions he must take in the very next days".