France's Le Pen rules out presidential bid

Jean-Marie Le Pen, the leader of the far right National Front, said he will not run in France’s presidential election in 2012.

Mr Le Pen declined to says who should succeed him in an interview with the Le Figaro Magazine.

Mr Le Pen ran for president five times, shocking the nation in 2002 when he reached the runoff that former president Jacques Chirac won.

His party is anti-immigrant and recently did well in regional elections.

His daughter, Marine, is considered a possible successor, as is Bruno Gollnisch, one of his closest collaborators in the party.