Paris at a standstill as transport strike bites

Parisians are braced for rush-hour chaos today as a nationwide strike was expected to cripple the public transport system and give President Nicolas Sarkozy his first real test after five months in office.

Eurostar trains to London and connections to neighbouring European countries will also be disrupted by the strike, called by unions protesting at Sarkozy’s plan to slash special retirement packages for some workers.