France held a national day of mourning for Mayotte, its Indian Ocean territory devastated by a violent cyclone on Dec. 14, beginning in the morning on Monday with a minute of silence for the scores of residents left dead by the storm.

France is to hold a day of national mourning after Cyclone Chido devastated its Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte earlier this month. French President Emmanuel Macron called for the nationwide remembrance during his visit to the island last week - where he was jeered by some islanders who criticised the slow delivery of aid.

The country's politics has been largely deadlocked since a snap election in July saw no party win a parliamentary majority.

France awaited the appointment of a new government Sunday to lead the country out of political crisis, amid predictions that Francois Bayrou, the fourth prime minister of the year, will