The Conseil d’Etat gave its verdict following a request from the League of Human Rights to overturn the burkini ban in the Mediterranean town of Villeneuve-Loubet on the grounds that it contravenes civil liberties.

The ban, which spread to more than a dozen coastal towns, has divided opinion within France’s Socialist government.

Cultural identity is set to be a hot topic in France’s presidential election next year, with the country reeling from a series of deadly Islamist attacks. (Euronews)