Lawrence Dallaglio claimed he had been set up by the News of the World

England have

Lawrence Dallaglio has resigned as England's rugby union captain following newspaper allegations that he took and dealt hard drugs.

The Rugby Football Union made the announcement at Twickenham after a three-hour meeting with the London Wasps star at a secret location in London on Monday.

The 26-year-old told the RFU he would be withdrawing from the England squad to tour Australia this summer after the News of the World reported that he admitted he was used and sold drugs before taking up rugby.

The tabloid newspaper also reported he had boasted of taking drugs at a party during the Lions' successful tour of South Africa.

Dallaglio "categorically denied" the principal claims in the News of the World that he had dealt in drugs, including cocaine and ecstasy.

In a statement he added that "the circumstances in which the supposed admissions were obtained amounted to an elaborate set-up".

But News of the World editor Phil Hall said: "We stand by our story. Lawrence Dallaglio is damned in his own words and frankly, we are amazed at his denial."

The RFU has launched an immediate investigation into the affair. Any disciplinary action against Dallaglio will be considered only when the inquiry has been completed, according to RFU chairman Brian Baister.

Dallaglio has provided the authorities with blood and urine samples and the RFU announced that every member of the touring party will also be tested for drugs.

England coach Clive Woodward, who was among the panel of six senior RFU figures who met Dallaglio, said he was "bitterly disappointed" for the player and his family but was confident he would be "proved innocent" by the investigation.

Leicester lock forward and British Lions skipper Martin Johnson has been appointed England captain until the end of the Rugby World Cup this autumn.

Eight million workers are out on strike as the crisis enters its third week

In the speech, he said the nation was "on the brink ofparalysis", and warned of civil war if the situation continued.

Violence within minutes

Eight million workers - a third of the country's workforce - are now on strike, at the start of a third week of social unrest.

Within minutes of President de Gaulle's speech, riots erupted again in Paris, Lyon, Nantes, Bordeaux and Strasbourg.

In Lyon, a policeman became the first person to die in the demonstrations. He was run over by rioters driving a lorry into a line of riot police.

Crowds of spectators

The largest demonstration was in Paris, where an estimated 50,000 workers followed the traditional workers' route from the Place de la Bastille to the Place de la Republique.

They were cheered by crowds of spectators who lined the pavements.

But violence erupted when students broke through police cordons guarding bridges across the Seine.

Armed with Molotov cocktails, they advanced on the French stock exchange, the Bourse, shouting "The Bourse belongs to the workers!" and "Occupy the Bourse!"

Barricades

They broke down the doors of the building and smashed windows, stuffing burning rags inside.

As students on the street outside sang the Communist revolutionary song, the Internationale, the Red Flag was hoisted above the building.

Police used tear gas to cut a passage for fire engines, but rioters made barricades of overturned cars and linked hands around the vehicles to stop firefighters running out their hoses.

By 2230 (2030 GMT), however, the fire was out, leaving the main floor of the stock exchange badly damaged.

Running battles between the police and demonstrators are continuing, with casualties already in the hundreds.

The Latin Quarter of Paris is effectively a siege camp, and there is no sign of an end to the demonstrations which are already being called France's second revolution.

ultimatum:a final statement or term made by one party to another（最后通牒）

paralysis:癱瘓，停頓