Sarkozy’s lawyer says the former president plans to appeal the verdict to the European Court of Human Rights. France’s highest court has upheld the 2021 conviction of former President Nicolas Sarkozy on charges of corruption and influence peddling. The Court of Cassation issued its decision on Wednesday. Sarkozy had appealed against the conviction, for which … Read more
Paris and Berlin that make up almost half of the eurozone economy face political and economic woes. France and Germany have long been deemed the main axis of power in the European Union. But, both are now facing serious political and economic turmoil. The uncertainty has come at a critical moment, with US President-elect Donald … Read more
The dropping of charges against Hugo Aurad and Oscar Jego draws a line under a dark period for France’s rugby community. An Argentinian court dismissed rape charges against two French international rugby players accused of assaulting a woman after a match in the country, the players’ lawyers said. “As we expected, the French players have … Read more
The middle school students in Senegal listened quietly one afternoon this past week as their history teacher told a story most of them knew already. In 1944, French colonial forces massacred West African soldiers who had returned from France after fighting in World War II, said the teacher, Aminata Diedhiou. Their school, in the town … Read more
Chad has said it is terminating a key defence cooperation agreement with France, raising questions about Paris’s waning influence in Africa’s embattled Sahel region. Chadian Foreign Minister Abderaman Koulamallah said it was time for his country to “assert its full sovereignty”. The announcement came just hours after Koulamallah’s French counterpart, Jean-Noel Barrot, met Chad’s President … Read more
France’s Foreign Ministry strongly suggested on Wednesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel would not immediately be arrested if he came to French territory, despite an International Criminal Court arrest warrant targeting him. A member of the court, France has been cautious so far in its reaction to the arrest warrants issued last week … Read more
New French PM promises ‘targeted tax hikes’ and spending cuts in order to cut budget deficit, national debt. France’s new Prime Minister Michel Barnier has outlined the policy programme of his new government, seeking to shore up its fragile position just three weeks after taking office. In his first policy speech on Tuesday, Barnier said … Read more
About 20 people have lost their lives in two weeks while making the perilous journey on overcrowded boats. At least eight people have died overnight while attempting to cross the English Channel from France to the United Kingdom, according to French authorities. The regional prefect, Jacques Billant, said the incident happened at about 1am (23:00 … Read more
Sale comes as European nations try to coax Serbia away from traditional ally and weapons supplier Moscow. France and Serbia have signed a $3bn agreement for the sale of 12 French-made Rafale fighter jets, as European countries try to coax Serbia away from close ties with Russia. The landmark sale, signed by Serb Defence Minister … Read more
Durov, a Russian-born French-Emirati citizen, was arrested late Saturday night and is still being held as part of an investigation into allegations of child pornography, drug trafficking and organized crime on the Telegram messaging platform, the Paris prosecutor’s office said. French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that it was “in no way a political decision” … Read more