Rioting French Youths Open Fire On Police

Around 100 French youths have clashed with police in the northern city of Amiens, shooting at officers and setting cars, a leisure centre and a nursery school ablaze. Police reinforcements have been dispatched and Interior Minister Manuel Valls is due to visit the city, where two nights of violence were apparently sparked by tension over spot police checks on residents.

"Sixteen police were injured, some by buckshot fire," Thomas Lavielle, an official at the prefect's office in the region, told a local television station.

The Amiens suburb which erupted in violence has already been identified as needing extra policing by Mr Valls' Socialist government.

French President Francois Hollande said his government would do all that was needed to ensure law and order in Amiens. (...)