Paris - Up to 3 million people took to the streets of cities throughout France on Thursday to protest the economic policies of President Nicolas Sarkozy, CFDT trade union head Francois Chereque said.

The largest-ever public outcry against Sarkozy since he came to office was accompanied by a general strike in which workers from both the private and public sectors walked off their jobs for the day.

Union officials said that more than 350,000 people demonstrated in Paris, while 300,000 protested in the southern port city of Marseille.

Paris - French workers from the public and private sectors went on strike on Thursday to protest the economic policies of President Nicolas Sarkozy.

The second national anti-government job action this year will be accompanied by protest demonstrations in more than 210 cities and towns, trade union officials said.

The strike actually began late Wednesday when employees of the national rail network SNCF and the French oil giant Total walked off their jobs.

Paris  - A one-day general strike of French workers from the private and public sectors to protest the economic policies of President Nicolas Sarkozy began late Wednesday when employees of the national railway network SNCF walked off their jobs.

The SNCF said that only about half of its scheduled long-haul and regional trains on average were expected to be running during the strike.

Paris - Millions of French workers from the public and private sectors were expected to take part in a one-day strike and nationwide demonstrations to protest the economic policies of President Nicolas Sarkozy and his government beginning late Wednesday.

The second nationwide job action of the year takes place amidst an atmosphere of mounting anger following a series of controversial factory closures and layoffs in France by German tyre manufacturer Continental, Japanese electronics giant Sony and French petroleum group Total.

Paris - The French Parliament is widely expected to approve President Nicolas Sarkozy's decision to return France to NATO's military command structure when it votes on the measure later on Thursday.

Because Sarkozy's UMP party and its centre-right allies have a substantial majority in both houses of Parliament, the result of the vote is a foregone conclusion.

Beirut - Lebanon's President Michel Suleiman will head a government delegation on a three-day visit to France next week, a Lebanese government source said Saturday.

Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh, Interior Minister Ziad Baroud and Economy and Trade Minister Mohammad Safadi will be among those accompanying Suleiman, who will meet with President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Suleiman is due to address a dinner hosted by Sarkozy and also address the French Senate and the Lebanese community in Paris.