Colin Randall

French president's suggestion that France should consider relaxing the law on funding so that a mosque could be provided in every sizeable town alarms many and looks to benefit far right.

Half a century after France's North African colonies became free of control from Paris, the economic, political and social links remain strong.

Political corruption trial set to begin for Jacques Chirac considered to be first president of France to be indicted for alleged criminal offences.

With French prime minister Nicholas Sarkozy under pressure himself, a series of gaffes by Michèle Alliot-Marie in her handling of the crisis in France¿s former colonies meant she had to go.

Interior ministers from Italy, Cyprus, France, Greece, Malta and Spain met yesterday in Rome to discuss crisis in Libya that could drive a wave of immigration across the Mediterranean on a 'biblical scale'.

In France, President Nicholas Sarkozy is pressing for children to learn English from the age of three, even as others attack the excessive use of English terms by French speakers, while in the UK, learning French is said to be under threat because of a trend towards commercially more beneficial languages such as Arabic and Chinese.

French president Nicolas Sarkozy sparks controversy with Mexico by supporting Frenchwoman serving 60-year sentence for kidnapping

Over the malaise in Malaysia, but no resting on its laurels. Malaysia may be on course to maintain a commendable comeback after suffering its share of fallout from the global financial crisis.

There is anger among Tunisians and Maghrebins over their former colonial ruler's support for Zine el Abidine Ben Ali's regime and its failure to understand the nature of their uprising.