WORLD IN BRIEF : FRANCE : Rightist Faces Trial on Slander Charge

Jean-Marie Le Pen, leader of the far right in France, was stripped of his immunity by the European Parliament, clearing the way for a trial on state charges brought by France. Le Pen had claimed immunity on the basis of his membership in the Parliament. Although he will be prosecuted for “insulting a minister,” the real issue is anti-Semitism. Last year, Le Pen referred to Civil Service Minister Michel Durafour with a pun that involved the term for gas ovens. Le Pen appeared on television and accused the government of staging a “witch hunt.”