Australia news LIVE: Greens senator claims rumours weaponised against him, denies being on leave from party; Riots, looting in France as more than half a million protesters take to streets

Paris: Protesters clashed with police for a second day of chaos in major French cities after massive rallies descended into violence and looting over the weekend, sparking anger at the rioters and an argument among national leaders.

French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the violence in an emergency address to the nation on Sunday night (Monday AEDT) amid a political row over whether the national government did enough to prevent the destruction.

The violence began on Saturday after 550,000 people attended rallies to protest about the cost of living and school standards, with masked rioters setting fire to cars and buildings, including the historic town hall in the city of Limoges, which was largely destroyed.