France: Strikes cause chaos

French strikers disrupted services for a second day running, as they seek to build pressure on the Government over its pension reform plans.

The biggest strikes and demonstrations so far were on Wednesday, and several unions said they would continue their stoppages indefinitely.

Rail services are still restricted, causing congestion and delays, while strikers forced the closure of all six of the Total oil group's refineries in France, leading to fears of fuel shortages.

Eleven out of the 12 refineries in France have now been affected by strike action.

The unions estimated the total number of protesters across the country on Wednesday at 3.5 million, while the police put the figure at 1.2 million.

The unions are opposed to President Nicolas Sarkozy's plans to raise the minimum retirement age from 60 to 62, and to delay a full state pension from 65 to 67.