Jacques Chirac: Former French president dies at 86

Jacques Chirac, the former French president whose later years were blighted by corruption scandals, has died aged 86.

"President Jacques Chirac died this morning surrounded by his family, peacefully," his son-in-law told AFP.

Mr Chirac served two terms as French president and took his country into the single European currency.

One of his major political reforms was to cut the presidential term of office from seven to five years.

He was seen as the focus of opposition to the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.