It was a "dirty war" waged by French colonial troops but it never made headlines and even today goes untold in school history books.

The brutal conflict unfolded in Cameroon, which on January 1 marks its 60th anniversary of independence -&nbsp;the first of 17 African countries that became free from their colonial masters in 1960.

Many decades on, those who witnessed the violence recall events that shaped countless lives in the central African country yet remain unchronicled today.

"My life was overturned," Odile Mbouma, 72, said in the southwestern town of Ekite.

On the night of December 30, 1956, French troops arrived in the town and slaughtered dozens of people, perhaps as many as a hundred, she said.

"We were sitting under a tree when we suddenly heard the crackle of gunfire," she said. "It was everyone for themselves."

Taking to her heels, the seven-year-old found herself jumping over bodies. "They were everywhere."

The troops were looking for independence fighters - members of the Union of the Peoples of Cameroon (UPC), a nationalist movement established in 1948 that faced repression first by the French and later by Cameroonian soldiers.

French authorities labelled the UPC "communist" and cracked down from 1955, driving the movement underground, though its charismatic founder Ruben Um Nyobe preached non-violence.

Buried in cement&nbsp;

In September 1958, Um Nyobe -&nbsp;nicknamed Mpodol (for "he who brings the word" in the Bassa language) -- was killed by French troops.

"His body was dragged around and displayed so that everybody (saw the corpse) of a man who was considered immortal," said Louis Marie Mang, UPC activist in Eseka, where Um Nyobe is buried in a Protestant graveyard.

"To prevent traditional rites from being held, he was put in a block of cement and buried (without) a coffin."&nbsp;

The conflict continued long beyond independence, for repression of the nationalists continued under Cameroon's first president, Ahmadou Ahidjo, who also banned public references to the UPC and to Um Nyobe.

The violence "passed unnoticed, wiped from memories," according to Thomas Deltombe, Manuel Domergue and Jacob Tatsitsa, authors of "La guerre du Cameroun" ("Cameroon's War"), published in 2016.

They estimate that between 1955 and 1964, tens of thousands of people, including civilians as well as UPC members, were killed.

In Ekite, a wreath of flowers lies on the soil of a scrubland field at the end of a dirt track. "The Nation will remember your sacrifice," says a memorial notice.

"This is one of the mass graves where the nationalists were buried," said Jean-Louis Kell, a UPC militant.&nbsp;

A second ditch was apparent a dozen metres (yards) away, and "a third was discovered not long ago," said Benoit Bassemel. He was seven during the French massacre and has tears in his eyes when he tells how his father was murdered.

'Free like the others'&nbsp;

UPC nationalists believe that the independence granted on January 1, 1960 was not what they fought for.

They view the country's two post-independence presidents, Ahidjo and Paul Biya, who has been in office since 1982, as working hand-in-hand with France.

"We wanted to be free like the other countries. We no longer wanted white people to subjugate us," said 80-year-old Mathieu Njassep, in his tiny family apartment in Petit Paris, a poor district of Douala, the economic capital.

In 1960, aged 21, Njassep joined the Cameroon National Liberation Army (ALNK), the UPC's armed wing.

After two years of fighting, he was appointed secretary to Ernest Ouandie, a leading figure in the movement. He was sentenced to death but escaped the firing squad, unlike Ouandie, who was executed in 1971.

"We had almost nothing to wage a war with," Njassep said.&nbsp;

"We carried out ambushes" with machetes, sticks and homemade guns. "If we had had enough weapons, we would have beaten them."

At the time, the ALNK had established its headquarters in the village of Bandenkop, on the land of the main western tribal group, the Bamileke. Fighting was fierce between the nationalists and the French army.

In the rugged valley from which ALNK commanders led operations, there is no sign of human life today and the only sound is that of a bubbling stream.

"This whole zone was regularly bombed" by the French air force, said Michel Eclador Pekoua, a former UPC official.

Pekoua and other nationalists say French planes dropped napalm. France has neither confirmed nor denied the use of the notorious incendiary weapon.

Decapitations&nbsp;

On a road 30 kilometres (19 miles) to the north, in Bafoussam, a roundabout is known as the "crossroads of the guerrillas," for it was where the decapitated heads of nationalists were placed on show, said Theophile Nono, head of a historical association, Memoire 60.

The regime's methods "ranged from the arrest and arbitrary imprisonment of any Cameroonian suspected of 'rebellion' to systematic torture, with extrajudicial summary executions," Nono said.

For many years the conflict mostly remained taboo in Cameroon. It was in the 1990s, when the authorities came under mounting pressure for democratic change, that people began to raise the historic past.

Biya, in a speech in 2010, paid tribute to "people who dreamed of (independence), fought to obtain it and sacrificed their lives for it... Our people should be eternally grateful to them."

After years of French silence, then-president Francois Hollande in 2015 became his country's first head of state to speak of "a repression" of Cameroonian nationalists leading to "tragic episodes".

For many survivors, this is not enough.

"France must accept its responsibility," Nono said.

"It must undertake to compensate victims of the dirty war, which has been carefully concealed by both the French side and the Cameroonian side."

It was a "dirty war" waged by French colonial troops but it never made headlines and even today goes untold in school history books. The brutal conflict unfolded in Cameroon, which on January 1 marks its 60th anniversary of independence - the first of 17 African countries that became free from their colonial masters in 1960.

It was a "dirty war" waged by French colonial troops but it never made headlines and even today goes untold in school history books. The brutal conflict unfolded in Cameroon, which on January 1 marks its 60th anniversary of independence - the first of 17 African countries that became free from their colonial masters in 1960. Many decades on, those who witnessed the violence recall events that shaped countless lives in the central African country yet remain unchronicled today. "My life was overturned," Odile Mbouma, 72, said in the southwestern town of Ekite. On the night of December 30, 1956, French troops arrived in the town and slaughtered dozens of people, perhaps as many as a hundred, she said. "We were sitting under a tree when we suddenly heard the crackle of gunfire," she said. "It was everyone for themselves." Taking to her heels, the seven-year-old found herself jumping over bodies. "They were everywhere." The troops were looking for independence fighters - members of the Union of the Peoples of Cameroon (UPC), a nationalist movement established in 1948 that faced repression first by the French and later by Cameroonian soldiers. French authorities labelled the UPC "communist" and cracked down from 1955, driving the movement underground, though its charismatic founder Ruben Um Nyobe preached non-violence. Buried in cement In September 1958, Um Nyobe - nicknamed Mpodol (for "he who brings the word" in the Bassa language) -- was killed by French troops. "His body was dragged around and displayed so that everybody (saw the corpse) of a man who was considered immortal," said Louis Marie Mang, UPC activist in Eseka, where Um Nyobe is buried in a Protestant graveyard. "To prevent traditional rites from being held, he was put in a block of cement and buried (without) a coffin." The conflict continued long beyond independence, for repression of the nationalists continued under Cameroon's first president, Ahmadou Ahidjo, who also banned public references to the UPC and to Um Nyobe. The violence "passed unnoticed, wiped from memories," according to Thomas Deltombe, Manuel Domergue and Jacob Tatsitsa, authors of "La guerre du Cameroun" ("Cameroon's War"), published in 2016. They estimate that between 1955 and 1964, tens of thousands of people, including civilians as well as UPC members, were killed. In Ekite, a wreath of flowers lies on the soil of a scrubland field at the end of a dirt track. "The Nation will remember your sacrifice," says a memorial notice. "This is one of the mass graves where the nationalists were buried," said Jean-Louis Kell, a UPC militant. A second ditch was apparent a dozen metres (yards) away, and "a third was discovered not long ago," said Benoit Bassemel. He was seven during the French massacre and has tears in his eyes when he tells how his father was murdered. 'Free like the others' UPC nationalists believe that the independence granted on January 1, 1960 was not what they fought for. They view the country's two post-independence presidents, Ahidjo and Paul Biya, who has been in office since 1982, as working hand-in-hand with France. "We wanted to be free like the other countries. We no longer wanted white people to subjugate us," said 80-year-old Mathieu Njassep, in his tiny family apartment in Petit Paris, a poor district of Douala, the economic capital. In 1960, aged 21, Njassep joined the Cameroon National Liberation Army (ALNK), the UPC's armed wing. After two years of fighting, he was appointed secretary to Ernest Ouandie, a leading figure in the movement. He was sentenced to death but escaped the firing squad, unlike Ouandie, who was executed in 1971. "We had almost nothing to wage a war with," Njassep said. "We carried out ambushes" with machetes, sticks and homemade guns. "If we had had enough weapons, we would have beaten them." At the time, the ALNK had established its headquarters in the village of Bandenkop, on the land of the main western tribal group, the Bamileke. Fighting was fierce between the nationalists and the French army. In the rugged valley from which ALNK commanders led operations, there is no sign of human life today and the only sound is that of a bubbling stream. "This whole zone was regularly bombed" by the French air force, said Michel Eclador Pekoua, a former UPC official. Pekoua and other nationalists say French planes dropped napalm. France has neither confirmed nor denied the use of the notorious incendiary weapon. Decapitations On a road 30 kilometres (19 miles) to the north, in Bafoussam, a roundabout is known as the "crossroads of the guerrillas," for it was where the decapitated heads of nationalists were placed on show, said Theophile Nono, head of a historical association, Memoire 60. The regime's methods "ranged from the arrest and arbitrary imprisonment of any Cameroonian suspected of 'rebellion' to systematic torture, with extrajudicial summary executions," Nono said. For many years the conflict mostly remained taboo in Cameroon. It was in the 1990s, when the authorities came under mounting pressure for democratic change, that people began to raise the historic past. Biya, in a speech in 2010, paid tribute to "people who dreamed of (independence), fought to obtain it and sacrificed their lives for it... Our people should be eternally grateful to them." After years of French silence, then-president Francois Hollande in 2015 became his country's first head of state to speak of "a repression" of Cameroonian nationalists leading to "tragic episodes". For many survivors, this is not enough. "France must accept its responsibility," Nono said. "It must undertake to compensate victims of the dirty war, which has been carefully concealed by both the French side and the Cameroonian side."

Survivors tell of France's 'dirty war' in Cameroon independence

Thousands protest in Paris against Bill allowing single women, lesbians to conceive through IVF

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will leave for France on Wednesday night on a three-day visit, which comes in the backdrop of a huge controversy over the procurement of 36 Rafale jets from French aerospace major Dassault Aviation.

Officials sources said Sitharaman will hold wide-ranging talks with her French counterpart Florence Parly on ways to deepen strategic cooperation between the two countries and also deliberate on major regional and global issues of mutual interests.

Sitharaman, who will hold with Party the first edition of defence dialogue, will leave for Paris late Wednesday night and conclude her visit on Saturday, they said.

The sources said besides exploring ways to boost bilateral defence cooperation, Sitharaman will also take stock of progress in the supply of 36 Rafale jets by Dassault to the Indian Air Force under Rs 58,000-crore deal.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the procurement of a batch of 36 Rafale jets after talks with the then French President Francois Hollande on April 10, 2015 in Paris. The final deal was sealed on September 23, 2016.

The Congress has been alleging massive irregularities in the deal, saying the government was procuring each aircraft at a cost of over Rs 1,670 crore as against Rs 526 crore finalised by the UPA government when it was negotiating the deal.

The Congress has also been targeting the government over the selection of Reliance Defence as an offset partner for Dassault. The government has vehemently rejected the allegations and asserted that it did not have any role in the selection of Reliance Defence.

Last month, Hollande was quoted by French publication 'Mediapart' as saying that France was given "no choice" on the selection of the Indian partner for Dassault and the Indian government proposed the name of Reliance to partner with the French aerospace giant.

The former French president's comments triggered a massive political row.

Sources said Sitharaman will discuss with Party ways to expand Indo-French maritime security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

The two ministers are also likely to deliberate on joint production of military platforms and weapons by the two countries.

French President Emmanuel Macron had visited India in March during which the two countries decided to expand strategic ties and deepen counter-terror cooperation.

The two sides also inked a strategic pact providing for the use of each other's military facilities including opening naval bases to warships.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Macron also decided to create an annual defence dialogue at the ministerial level to explore ways to further deepen defence and strategic ties.

Sitharaman and Parly will hold the first edition of the defence dialogue.&nbsp;

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will leave for France on Wednesday night on a three-day visit, which comes in the backdrop of a huge controversy over the procurement of 36 Rafale jets from French aerospace major Dassault Aviation.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will leave for France on Wednesday night on a three-day visit, which comes in the backdrop of a huge controversy over the procurement of 36 Rafale jets from French aerospace major Dassault Aviation. Officials sources said Sitharaman will hold wide-ranging talks with her French counterpart Florence Parly on ways to deepen strategic cooperation between the two countries and also deliberate on major regional and global issues of mutual interests. Sitharaman, who will hold with Party the first edition of defence dialogue, will leave for Paris late Wednesday night and conclude her visit on Saturday, they said. The sources said besides exploring ways to boost bilateral defence cooperation, Sitharaman will also take stock of progress in the supply of 36 Rafale jets by Dassault to the Indian Air Force under Rs 58,000-crore deal. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the procurement of a batch of 36 Rafale jets after talks with the then French President Francois Hollande on April 10, 2015 in Paris. The final deal was sealed on September 23, 2016. The Congress has been alleging massive irregularities in the deal, saying the government was procuring each aircraft at a cost of over Rs 1,670 crore as against Rs 526 crore finalised by the UPA government when it was negotiating the deal. The Congress has also been targeting the government over the selection of Reliance Defence as an offset partner for Dassault. The government has vehemently rejected the allegations and asserted that it did not have any role in the selection of Reliance Defence. Last month, Hollande was quoted by French publication 'Mediapart' as saying that France was given "no choice" on the selection of the Indian partner for Dassault and the Indian government proposed the name of Reliance to partner with the French aerospace giant. The former French president's comments triggered a massive political row. Sources said Sitharaman will discuss with Party ways to expand Indo-French maritime security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. The two ministers are also likely to deliberate on joint production of military platforms and weapons by the two countries. French President Emmanuel Macron had visited India in March during which the two countries decided to expand strategic ties and deepen counter-terror cooperation. The two sides also inked a strategic pact providing for the use of each other's military facilities including opening naval bases to warships. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Macron also decided to create an annual defence dialogue at the ministerial level to explore ways to further deepen defence and strategic ties. Sitharaman and Parly will hold the first edition of the defence dialogue.

Defence minister Sitharaman set to leave for France over procurement of 36 Rafale jets

Former minister of science and technology and senior Congress leader Jaipal Reddy on Thursday said that no one from the current French authorities including President Emmanuel Macron has contradicted former France president Francois Hollande`s claim on the controversial Rafale jets deal.

"For the first time on Wednesday, current French President avoided the question on Rafale and said he was not in charge at the time. In other words, he did not contradict the former French President's words. This consistent non-contradiction from current French authorities is absolutely tantamount to confirmation of facts," Reddy said while addressing a press conference.

Calling on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to break his silence on the issue, Reddy said," You are no longer contradicting the president of the Congress party(Rahul Gandhi). You are no longer contradicting the opposition in India. There is no ploy left in Paris. Don`t confuse Pakistan with Paris. So, Mr Modi owes an explanation to the nation about the statement made by the former president of France on Anil Ambani`s company."

Reddy further said that in the last 70 years, he had never seen a head of state of a foreign major country make a statement that is contradictory to the one made by an Indian Prime Minister.

"Can anybody cite a single example of a former prime minister being contradicted by a former president of any major, responsible Western democracy? France is the only country that has stood beside India consistently. When we went nuclear, France is the only country which did not act in a hostile fashion. From De Gaulle to the present days, France has been a friendly country. So, if a president of France says something, the country has to sit up and take notice of it."

"The non-contraction by the current president of France is equivalent to an international revelation," Reddy further said.

Reddy claimed that "Prime Minister Modi is getting caught or sandwiched between international revelations and internal disclosures."

Earlier, Macron had said that he was not in power when the deal was signed between the two countries.&nbsp;

"It was a government to government discussion. I just want to refer to what Prime Minister Modi very clearly said a few days ago. I was not in charge at that time. I know that we have very clear rules," Macron said while addressing a presser on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.

"The contract is a part of a broader framework between India and France, which is a military and defence coalition between the two countries. It`s very important to me and it`s a strategic coalition. I just want to refer what Prime Minister Modi said on the situation," Macron had added.

The deal to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets was signed in 2016 between Prime Minister Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government and the French government under then-President Francois Hollande.

The Congress party has been alleging irregularities in the high-profile Defence fighter jets contract, saying that the NDA government was procuring each aircraft at a cost of over Rs 1,670 crore as against Rs 526 crore finalised by the then United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

The controversy took a new twist last week after Hollande, with whom Prime Minister Modi had cleared the deal in 2016, claimed that the Indian government had proposed Reliance Defence`s name as the offset partner for Dassault Aviation.&nbsp;

Former minister of science and technology and senior Congress leader Jaipal Reddy on Thursday said that no one from the current French authorities including President Emmanuel Macron has contradicted former France president Francois Hollande`s claim on the controversial Rafale jets deal.

Former minister of science and technology and senior Congress leader Jaipal Reddy on Thursday said that no one from the current French authorities including President Emmanuel Macron has contradicted former France president Francois Hollande`s claim on the controversial Rafale jets deal. "For the first time on Wednesday, current French President avoided the question on Rafale and said he was not in charge at the time. In other words, he did not contradict the former French President's words. This consistent non-contradiction from current French authorities is absolutely tantamount to confirmation of facts," Reddy said while addressing a press conference. Calling on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to break his silence on the issue, Reddy said," You are no longer contradicting the president of the Congress party(Rahul Gandhi). You are no longer contradicting the opposition in India. There is no ploy left in Paris. Don`t confuse Pakistan with Paris. So, Mr Modi owes an explanation to the nation about the statement made by the former president of France on Anil Ambani`s company." Reddy further said that in the last 70 years, he had never seen a head of state of a foreign major country make a statement that is contradictory to the one made by an Indian Prime Minister. "Can anybody cite a single example of a former prime minister being contradicted by a former president of any major, responsible Western democracy? France is the only country that has stood beside India consistently. When we went nuclear, France is the only country which did not act in a hostile fashion. From De Gaulle to the present days, France has been a friendly country. So, if a president of France says something, the country has to sit up and take notice of it." "The non-contraction by the current president of France is equivalent to an international revelation," Reddy further said. Reddy claimed that "Prime Minister Modi is getting caught or sandwiched between international revelations and internal disclosures." Earlier, Macron had said that he was not in power when the deal was signed between the two countries. "It was a government to government discussion. I just want to refer to what Prime Minister Modi very clearly said a few days ago. I was not in charge at that time. I know that we have very clear rules," Macron said while addressing a presser on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday. "The contract is a part of a broader framework between India and France, which is a military and defence coalition between the two countries. It`s very important to me and it`s a strategic coalition. I just want to refer what Prime Minister Modi said on the situation," Macron had added. The deal to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets was signed in 2016 between Prime Minister Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government and the French government under then-President Francois Hollande. The Congress party has been alleging irregularities in the high-profile Defence fighter jets contract, saying that the NDA government was procuring each aircraft at a cost of over Rs 1,670 crore as against Rs 526 crore finalised by the then United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. The controversy took a new twist last week after Hollande, with whom Prime Minister Modi had cleared the deal in 2016, claimed that the Indian government had proposed Reliance Defence`s name as the offset partner for Dassault Aviation.

Macron didn't counter Hollande's statement on Rafale: Congress

The French government said Sunday it feared damage to its relations with India after former president Francois Hollande stirred controversy about a major deal to sell fighter jets to New Delhi.

Hollande, who left office in May last year, said Friday during a trip to India that French jet manufacturer Dassault Aviation had been given no choice about its local partner in a 2016 deal with the Indian administration.

The nationalist government of Narendra Modi agreed to buy 36 Rafale jets from Dassault, which announced afterwards it was partnering for the project with billionaire Anil Ambani rather than India's public defence conglomerate HAL.

Hollande's announcement that Dassault "did not have a say in it" added fuel to claims from India's opposition that the New Delhi government had intervened to help Ambani, who is a supporter of Modi and hails from the same state as him.

"I find these remarks made overseas, which concern important international relations between France and India, do not help anyone and above all do not help France," junior foreign minister Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne said Sunday about Hollande.

"Because one is no longer in office, causing damage to a strategic partnership between India and France by making remarks that clearly cause controversy in India is really not appropriate," he said in an interview on Radio J.

Hollande made the comments to defend himself from accusations of a conflict of interest because Ambani's Reliance conglomerate had partially financed a film produced by his girlfriend, Julie Gayet, in 2016.

The choice of Reliance for a highly strategic contract to upgrade India's ageing fleet of fighter jets had caused surprise at the time because the group had no previous experience in the aeronautics industry.&nbsp;

Hollande's comments were front-page news in Indian newspapers on Saturday and it was the top trending topic on Twitter.

Rahul Gandhi, head of the main opposition Congress party, who is seeking to replace Modi and his rightwing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in elections next year, went on the offensive.

"An ex-president of France is calling him (the prime minister of India) a thief. It's a question of the dignity of the office of the prime minister," he told a news conference in New Delhi.

The French government said Sunday it feared damage to its relations with India after former president Francois Hollande stirred controversy about a major deal to sell fighter jets to New Delhi.

The French government said Sunday it feared damage to its relations with India after former president Francois Hollande stirred controversy about a major deal to sell fighter jets to New Delhi. Hollande, who left office in May last year, said Friday during a trip to India that French jet manufacturer Dassault Aviation had been given no choice about its local partner in a 2016 deal with the Indian administration. The nationalist government of Narendra Modi agreed to buy 36 Rafale jets from Dassault, which announced afterwards it was partnering for the project with billionaire Anil Ambani rather than India's public defence conglomerate HAL. Hollande's announcement that Dassault "did not have a say in it" added fuel to claims from India's opposition that the New Delhi government had intervened to help Ambani, who is a supporter of Modi and hails from the same state as him. "I find these remarks made overseas, which concern important international relations between France and India, do not help anyone and above all do not help France," junior foreign minister Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne said Sunday about Hollande. "Because one is no longer in office, causing damage to a strategic partnership between India and France by making remarks that clearly cause controversy in India is really not appropriate," he said in an interview on Radio J. Hollande made the comments to defend himself from accusations of a conflict of interest because Ambani's Reliance conglomerate had partially financed a film produced by his girlfriend, Julie Gayet, in 2016. The choice of Reliance for a highly strategic contract to upgrade India's ageing fleet of fighter jets had caused surprise at the time because the group had no previous experience in the aeronautics industry. Hollande's comments were front-page news in Indian newspapers on Saturday and it was the top trending topic on Twitter. Rahul Gandhi, head of the main opposition Congress party, who is seeking to replace Modi and his rightwing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in elections next year, went on the offensive. "An ex-president of France is calling him (the prime minister of India) a thief. It's a question of the dignity of the office of the prime minister," he told a news conference in New Delhi.

France worried about relations with India after Hollande comments on Rafale deal

Former French president Francois Hollande said that France did not choose to partner with Indian businessman Anil Ambani's company in "any way" and added that only Dassault can comment on the Rafale fighter jet deal.

Asked whether India had put pressure on Reliance and Dassault to work together, Hollande said he was unaware and "only Dassault can comment on this", French news agency AFP reported.

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FLASH: From Agency AFP, when asked whether India had put pressure on Reliance and Dassault to work together, Ex France President Hollande said he was unaware and "only Dassault can comment on this". <a href="https://t.co/YEb8eaD7Gw">pic.twitter.com/YEb8eaD7Gw</a>
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Hollande was responding to a question by the French news agency on the sidelines of an event in Canada on Friday.

"That is why, moreover, this group (Reliance) did not have to give me any thanks for anything," the former French president added.

In an interview to a media house that appeared on Friday, Hollande had said that Dassault Aviation was given no choice but to partner with Anil&nbsp; 
Ambani-led Reliance Defence for the offset clause in the Rafale deal.

In an article published by French journal Mediapart, Hollande to a question about who selected Reliance as a partner and why, said it was the Indian government that proposed Reliance's name and Dassault had no choice but to take the company given to it.

"We did not have a say in that. The Indian government proposed this service group, and Dassault negotiated with Ambani. We did not have a choice, we took the interlocutor we were given," said Hollande. The interview was published in French and excerpts of Hollande's interview were tweeted by&nbsp; 
French newspaper LeMonde's journalist Julien Boissou.

His reported statement contradicts Indian government's claim that the agreement between Dassault and Reliance was a commercial pact between two private parties and the government had nothing to do with it.

Former French president Francois Hollande said that France did not choose to partner with Indian businessman Anil Ambani's company in "any way" and added that only Dassault can comment on the Rafale fighter jet deal.

Former French president Francois Hollande said that France did not choose to partner with Indian businessman Anil Ambani's company in "any way" and added that only Dassault can comment on the Rafale fighter jet deal. Asked whether India had put pressure on Reliance and Dassault to work together, Hollande said he was unaware and "only Dassault can comment on this", French news agency AFP reported. FLASH: From Agency AFP, when asked whether India had put pressure on Reliance and Dassault to work together, Ex France President Hollande said he was unaware and "only Dassault can comment on this". pic.twitter.com/YEb8eaD7Gw — ANI (@ANI) September 22, 2018 × Hollande was responding to a question by the French news agency on the sidelines of an event in Canada on Friday. "That is why, moreover, this group (Reliance) did not have to give me any thanks for anything," the former French president added. In an interview to a media house that appeared on Friday, Hollande had said that Dassault Aviation was given no choice but to partner with Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence for the offset clause in the Rafale deal. In an article published by French journal Mediapart, Hollande to a question about who selected Reliance as a partner and why, said it was the Indian government that proposed Reliance's name and Dassault had no choice but to take the company given to it. "We did not have a say in that. The Indian government proposed this service group, and Dassault negotiated with Ambani. We did not have a choice, we took the interlocutor we were given," said Hollande. The interview was published in French and excerpts of Hollande's interview were tweeted by French newspaper LeMonde's journalist Julien Boissou. His reported statement contradicts Indian government's claim that the agreement between Dassault and Reliance was a commercial pact between two private parties and the government had nothing to do with it.

France 'did not choose Reliance in any way': Hollande

A day after former French president &nbsp;Francois Hollande dropped a bombshell by telling a French journal that the Indian government proposed Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence as the India partner for the 36 Rafale jet deal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi asked the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to clarify if what the Hollande is saying is true or false.&nbsp;

Addressing media persons in Delhi on Saturday, Rahul Gandhi said for the first time, a former French President called Indian PM a thief.&nbsp;

Calling Modi corrupt, Rahul Gandhi said ' desh ka chowkidaar ' chor hai' which roughly translates into India's guard is thief. Modi often boasts that he is the guard of the nation.&nbsp;&nbsp;

''We're absolutely convinced that the Prime Minister of India is corrupt. This question is now clearly settled in the mind of the Indian people that 'desh ka chowkidaar' chor hai,'' Congress president said.&nbsp;

Gandhi also took a swipe at the former defence minister Manohar Parrikar.&nbsp;

The former Defence Minister (Manohar Parrikar) said that when the contract was changed, he didn't know about it. He was buying fish in the markets of Goa, he said.

The Prime Minister should clarify if what the ex-French President is saying is true or false: Congress President Rahul Gandhi

A day after former French president Francois Hollande dropped a bombshell by telling a French journal that the Indian government proposed Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence as the India partner for the 36 Rafale jet deal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi asked the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to clarify if what the Hollande is saying is true or false.

A day after former French president Francois Hollande dropped a bombshell by telling a French journal that the Indian government proposed Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence as the India partner for the 36 Rafale jet deal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi asked the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to clarify if what the Hollande is saying is true or false. Addressing media persons in Delhi on Saturday, Rahul Gandhi said for the first time, a former French President called Indian PM a thief. Calling Modi corrupt, Rahul Gandhi said ' desh ka chowkidaar ' chor hai' which roughly translates into India's guard is thief. Modi often boasts that he is the guard of the nation. ''We're absolutely convinced that the Prime Minister of India is corrupt. This question is now clearly settled in the mind of the Indian people that 'desh ka chowkidaar' chor hai,'' Congress president said. Gandhi also took a swipe at the former defence minister Manohar Parrikar. The former Defence Minister (Manohar Parrikar) said that when the contract was changed, he didn't know about it. He was buying fish in the markets of Goa, he said. The Prime Minister should clarify if what the ex-French President is saying is true or false: Congress President Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi asks PM to speak up on former French president's allegations

Home Minister Rajnath Singh, on Saturday, tried to dispel the controversy surrounding the India-France Rafale jet deal.

Former French president, François Hollande in an interview to a media house on Friday, contradicted Indian government's claim that the agreement between Dassault and Reliance was a commercial pact between two private parties and the government had nothing to do with it.

Making his first comment on the issue since Hollande's claims, Home Minister Singh told ANI, "It makes no sense to create a controversy over the Rafale issue. On the said utterance of former President of France, the Defence Ministry has already issued a statement and has stated that they are verifying it. It is my understanding that all accusations are completely baseless, were always so and will remain baseless".

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Making his first comment since former French president, François Hollande's claims, Home Minister Rajnath Singh tried to dispel the controversy surrounding the India-France Rafale jet deal 
 
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On Friday, in an article published by French journal, Mediapart, Hollande, said that Dassault Aviation was given no choice but to partner with Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence for the offset clause in the Rafale fighter jet deal.

Responding to the interview, Defence Ministry spokesperson tweeted, "The report referring to former French President Mr Hollande's statement that GoI insisted upon a particular firm as offset partner for the Dassault Aviation in Rafale is being verified. It is reiterated that neither GoI nor French Govt had any say in the commercial decision."

Later in the night, confirming India's stand on the offsets agreement between Dassault Aviation and Reliance Group, the former, in a statement, reiterated that Reliance Group was chosen in compliance with the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) 2016 regulations.

It was after his talks with then-President Hollande on April 10, 2015, in Paris that Prime Minister Modi had announced the jet deal.

The claim by the former French president has given fresh ammunition to the Congress party, which has been mounting an attack on the government, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Modi.

Launching a blistering attack on Modi, senior Congress leader, Mallikarjun Kharge, told ANI, "It's my personal demand that he (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) is not suitable for the post and therefore he should immediately resign &amp; appoint any cabinet minister as Prime Minister. He is morally not suitable for the post now."

Home Minister Rajnath Singh, on Saturday, tried to dispel the controversy surrounding the India-France Rafale jet deal. Former French president, François Hollande in an interview to a media house on Friday, contradicted Indian government's claim that the agreement between Dassault and Reliance was a commercial pact between two private parties and the government had nothing to do with it.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh, on Saturday, tried to dispel the controversy surrounding the India-France Rafale jet deal. Former French president, François Hollande in an interview to a media house on Friday, contradicted Indian government's claim that the agreement between Dassault and Reliance was a commercial pact between two private parties and the government had nothing to do with it. Making his first comment on the issue since Hollande's claims, Home Minister Singh told ANI, "It makes no sense to create a controversy over the Rafale issue. On the said utterance of former President of France, the Defence Ministry has already issued a statement and has stated that they are verifying it. It is my understanding that all accusations are completely baseless, were always so and will remain baseless". Making his first comment since former French president, François Hollande's claims, Home Minister Rajnath Singh tried to dispel the controversy surrounding the India-France Rafale jet deal Read @ANI story | https://t.co/xw74EClTwo pic.twitter.com/curoG2mr2i — ANI Digital (@ani_digital) September 22, 2018 × On Friday, in an article published by French journal, Mediapart, Hollande, said that Dassault Aviation was given no choice but to partner with Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence for the offset clause in the Rafale fighter jet deal. Responding to the interview, Defence Ministry spokesperson tweeted, "The report referring to former French President Mr Hollande's statement that GoI insisted upon a particular firm as offset partner for the Dassault Aviation in Rafale is being verified. It is reiterated that neither GoI nor French Govt had any say in the commercial decision." Later in the night, confirming India's stand on the offsets agreement between Dassault Aviation and Reliance Group, the former, in a statement, reiterated that Reliance Group was chosen in compliance with the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) 2016 regulations. It was after his talks with then-President Hollande on April 10, 2015, in Paris that Prime Minister Modi had announced the jet deal. The claim by the former French president has given fresh ammunition to the Congress party, which has been mounting an attack on the government, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Modi. Launching a blistering attack on Modi, senior Congress leader, Mallikarjun Kharge, told ANI, "It's my personal demand that he (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) is not suitable for the post and therefore he should immediately resign & appoint any cabinet minister as Prime Minister. He is morally not suitable for the post now."

Rafale Deal Row: Accusations baseless, says Rajnath after Hollande's claim

Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh said Saturday that former French president Francois Hollande’s remarks on the Rafale aircraft deal have proved it was a “big scam”.&nbsp;

The Rajya Sabha MP’s remark on the purchase of 36 fighter jets from France came a day after Hollande was quoted by the French media as purportedly saying that the Indian government proposed Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence as the partner for Dassault Aviation in the Rs 58,000-crore deal and France did not have a choice.

The report in ‘Mediapart’, a French-language publication, quoted Hollande as saying, “It was the Indian government that proposed this service group, and Dassault which negotiated with Ambani. We had no choice, we took the interlocutor who was given to us.”

Addressing a press conference in Nagpur, Singh said, “The statement made by former French president Francois Hollande on the Rafale deal is shocking and it proves that the Rafale deal is a big scam.”

“The Modi government should tell why the offset contract was given to Reliance Defence. Hollande’s statement proves that the Modi government favoured Reliance Defence in getting the offset contract,” he said.

Under India’s offset policy, foreign defence entities are mandated to spend at least 30 per cent of the total contract value in India through procurement of components or setting up of research and development facilities.

According to Singh, a joint statement issued by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Hollande in 2015 has come to the fore now and it showed that there was no change in the technology of the aircraft in the new deal. “It is the same technology as was finalised during UPA-II,” he said.

He said the government should reveal why the cost of Rs 540 crore per aircraft went up to Rs 1,670 crore and the offset contract was given to Reliance Defence, formed 12 days before the announcement of the Rafale deal.

“The country suffered losses to the tune of Rs 36,000 crore…about Rs 1,000 per aircraft. It is the biggest scam in defence deal that the country has ever seen,” Singh said. He alleged that the statement made by Hollande proved that the Modi government proposed Reliance Defence for the offset partner, dropped Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd and thus favoured Reliance.

“The PM should clarify on this aspect. The defence minister should resign and an investigation should be launched to find who got the Rs 36,000 crore… A JPC probe should be initiated,” Singh demanded.

The AAP leader also said that his party will contest upcoming elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, and on 80 to 100 seats in next Lok Sabha polls.

Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh said Saturday that former French president Francois Hollande’s remarks on the Rafale aircraft deal have proved it was a “big scam”.

Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh said Saturday that former French president Francois Hollande’s remarks on the Rafale aircraft deal have proved it was a “big scam”. The Rajya Sabha MP’s remark on the purchase of 36 fighter jets from France came a day after Hollande was quoted by the French media as purportedly saying that the Indian government proposed Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence as the partner for Dassault Aviation in the Rs 58,000-crore deal and France did not have a choice. The report in ‘Mediapart’, a French-language publication, quoted Hollande as saying, “It was the Indian government that proposed this service group, and Dassault which negotiated with Ambani. We had no choice, we took the interlocutor who was given to us.” Addressing a press conference in Nagpur, Singh said, “The statement made by former French president Francois Hollande on the Rafale deal is shocking and it proves that the Rafale deal is a big scam.” “The Modi government should tell why the offset contract was given to Reliance Defence. Hollande’s statement proves that the Modi government favoured Reliance Defence in getting the offset contract,” he said. Under India’s offset policy, foreign defence entities are mandated to spend at least 30 per cent of the total contract value in India through procurement of components or setting up of research and development facilities. According to Singh, a joint statement issued by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Hollande in 2015 has come to the fore now and it showed that there was no change in the technology of the aircraft in the new deal. “It is the same technology as was finalised during UPA-II,” he said. He said the government should reveal why the cost of Rs 540 crore per aircraft went up to Rs 1,670 crore and the offset contract was given to Reliance Defence, formed 12 days before the announcement of the Rafale deal. “The country suffered losses to the tune of Rs 36,000 crore…about Rs 1,000 per aircraft. It is the biggest scam in defence deal that the country has ever seen,” Singh said. He alleged that the statement made by Hollande proved that the Modi government proposed Reliance Defence for the offset partner, dropped Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd and thus favoured Reliance. “The PM should clarify on this aspect. The defence minister should resign and an investigation should be launched to find who got the Rs 36,000 crore… A JPC probe should be initiated,” Singh demanded. The AAP leader also said that his party will contest upcoming elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, and on 80 to 100 seats in next Lok Sabha polls.

Francois Hollande’s remarks prove Rafale a big scam: AAP leader Sanjay Singh

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Friday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi following former French President Francois Hollande's reported remarks on the Rafale deal, saying he has "betrayed" India.

His attack on Modi came after a French media report quoted Hollande as purportedly saying that the Indian government proposed Reliance Defence as the partner for Dassault Aviation in the Rs 58,000 crore Rafale jet fighter deal.

"The PM personally negotiated &amp; changed the #Rafale deal behind closed doors. Thanks to Francois Hollande, we now know he personally delivered a deal worth billions of dollars to a bankrupt Anil Ambani," Gandhi tweeted.&nbsp;

"The PM has betrayed India. He has dishonoured the blood of our soldiers," he said.

Modi had announced the procurement of a batch of 36 Rafale jets after holding talks with the then French President Hollande on April 10, 2015 in Paris.

The opposition has been accusing the government of choosing Reliance Defence over state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) to benefit the private firm though it did not have any experience in the aerospace sector.&nbsp;

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Friday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi following former French President Francois Hollande's reported remarks on the Rafale deal, saying he has "betrayed" India.

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Friday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi following former French President Francois Hollande's reported remarks on the Rafale deal, saying he has "betrayed" India. His attack on Modi came after a French media report quoted Hollande as purportedly saying that the Indian government proposed Reliance Defence as the partner for Dassault Aviation in the Rs 58,000 crore Rafale jet fighter deal. "The PM personally negotiated & changed the #Rafale deal behind closed doors. Thanks to Francois Hollande, we now know he personally delivered a deal worth billions of dollars to a bankrupt Anil Ambani," Gandhi tweeted. "The PM has betrayed India. He has dishonoured the blood of our soldiers," he said. Modi had announced the procurement of a batch of 36 Rafale jets after holding talks with the then French President Hollande on April 10, 2015 in Paris. The opposition has been accusing the government of choosing Reliance Defence over state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) to benefit the private firm though it did not have any experience in the aerospace sector.

PM has betrayed India: Gandhi on Hollande's reported remarks on Rafale deal

Adding fuel to the ongoing Rafale controversy, former French President François Hollande dropped a bombshell on Friday when he said in an interview to a French media that&nbsp;Dassault Aviation was given no choice but to partner with Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence for the offset clause in the Rafale fighter jet deal.

In an article published by French journal Mediapart, Hollande to a question about who selected Reliance as a partner and why said it was the Indian government that proposed Reliance’s name and Dassault had no choice but to take the company given to it.

“We did not have a say in that. The Indian government proposed this service group, and Dassault negotiated with Ambani. We did not have a choice, we took the interlocutor we were given,” said Hollande. The interview was published in French and excerpts of Hollande’s interview were tweeted by French Newspaper LeMonde journalist Julien Boissou.

Hollande’s reported statement contradicts Indian government’s claim that the agreement between Dassault and Reliance was a commercial pact between two private parties and the government had nothing to do with it.

However, the&nbsp;Defence Ministry on Friday reiterated that neither government had any say in the "commercial decision".

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The report referring to fmr French president Mr. Hollande's statement that GOI insisted upon a particular firm as offset partner for the Dassault Aviation in Rafale is being verified. 
It is reiterated that neither GoI nor French Govt had any say in the commercial decision.
— Defence Spokesperson (@SpokespersonMoD) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpokespersonMoD/status/1043128661757415424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"The report referring to former French president Mr. Hollande`s statement that government of India insisted upon a particular firm as offset partner for the Dassault Aviation in Rafale is being verified," the Defence Ministry said in a tweet.

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Former French President François Hollande contradicts the Indian government. According to him, Anil Ambani (Reliance Defence) was not chosen by Dassault : "We didn't have a choice. We took the partner that was given to us" <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rafale?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rafale</a><a href="https://t.co/YX1rMQlqvk">https://t.co/YX1rMQlqvk</a>
— julien bouissou (@jubouissou) <a href="https://twitter.com/jubouissou/status/1043094027111809024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Congress leader Manish Tewari immediately&nbsp;joined issue and retweeted the article and asked Hollande: “President (Former) Francois Hollande should also enlighten us how the price went up from 590 crores in 2012 to 1690 crores in 2015 per Rafale fighter jet? Escalation of a mere 1100 crores. I am sure the Euro equivalent would not be a problem to calculate.”

The opposition has been alleging that the Anil Ambani firm was favoured in the Rs 21,000 crore contract at the cost of state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) despite the private firm having no prior experience in aerospace manufacturing.&nbsp;

The Narendra Modi government has repeatedly said it was Dassault that chose its India partner and that the government has had no say in the deal.&nbsp;

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President ( Former) Francois Hollande should also enlighten us how the price went up from 590 crores in 2012 to 1690 crores in 2015 per Rafale fighter jet? Escalation of a mere 1100 crores. I am sure the Euro equivalent would not be a problem to calculate <a href="https://twitter.com/jubouissou?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jubouissou</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/fhollande?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@fhollande</a> <a href="https://t.co/j9aJbc6EAy">https://t.co/j9aJbc6EAy</a>
— Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ManishTewari/status/1043113194267533312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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(With agency inputs)

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Adding fuel to the ongoing Rafale controversy, former French President François Hollande dropped a bombshell on Friday when he said in an interview to a French media that Dassault Aviation was given no choice but to partner with Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence for the offset clause in the Rafale fighter jet deal.

Adding fuel to the ongoing Rafale controversy, former French President François Hollande dropped a bombshell on Friday when he said in an interview to a French media that Dassault Aviation was given no choice but to partner with Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence for the offset clause in the Rafale fighter jet deal. In an article published by French journal Mediapart, Hollande to a question about who selected Reliance as a partner and why said it was the Indian government that proposed Reliance’s name and Dassault had no choice but to take the company given to it. “We did not have a say in that. The Indian government proposed this service group, and Dassault negotiated with Ambani. We did not have a choice, we took the interlocutor we were given,” said Hollande. The interview was published in French and excerpts of Hollande’s interview were tweeted by French Newspaper LeMonde journalist Julien Boissou. Hollande’s reported statement contradicts Indian government’s claim that the agreement between Dassault and Reliance was a commercial pact between two private parties and the government had nothing to do with it. However, the Defence Ministry on Friday reiterated that neither government had any say in the "commercial decision". The report referring to fmr French president Mr. Hollande's statement that GOI insisted upon a particular firm as offset partner for the Dassault Aviation in Rafale is being verified. It is reiterated that neither GoI nor French Govt had any say in the commercial decision. — Defence Spokesperson (@SpokespersonMoD) September 21, 2018 × "The report referring to former French president Mr. Hollande`s statement that government of India insisted upon a particular firm as offset partner for the Dassault Aviation in Rafale is being verified," the Defence Ministry said in a tweet. Former French President François Hollande contradicts the Indian government. According to him, Anil Ambani (Reliance Defence) was not chosen by Dassault : "We didn't have a choice. We took the partner that was given to us" #Rafalehttps://t.co/YX1rMQlqvk — julien bouissou (@jubouissou) September 21, 2018 × Congress leader Manish Tewari immediately joined issue and retweeted the article and asked Hollande: “President (Former) Francois Hollande should also enlighten us how the price went up from 590 crores in 2012 to 1690 crores in 2015 per Rafale fighter jet? Escalation of a mere 1100 crores. I am sure the Euro equivalent would not be a problem to calculate.” The opposition has been alleging that the Anil Ambani firm was favoured in the Rs 21,000 crore contract at the cost of state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) despite the private firm having no prior experience in aerospace manufacturing. The Narendra Modi government has repeatedly said it was Dassault that chose its India partner and that the government has had no say in the deal. President ( Former) Francois Hollande should also enlighten us how the price went up from 590 crores in 2012 to 1690 crores in 2015 per Rafale fighter jet? Escalation of a mere 1100 crores. I am sure the Euro equivalent would not be a problem to calculate @jubouissou @fhollande https://t.co/j9aJbc6EAy — Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) September 21, 2018 × (With agency inputs)

Former French president Hollande says Indian government proposed Anil Ambani’s Reliance for Rafale deal

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy will face trial over charges he misused his influence to secure leaked details of an inquiry into alleged irregularities in his 2007 election campaign, France's financial prosecutor said Thursday.

Sarkozy's lawyers said he would appeal the decision to send him to court, initially reported by the daily Le Monde.

The case came about after investigators used phone-taps to examine separate allegations that late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi funded Sarkozy's campaign and began to suspect he had kept tabs on a separate case through a network of informants.

The development came just over a week after Sarkozy was told he was being formally treated as a suspect in the election campaign investigation.

Sarkozy was president from 2007 to 2012 but was defeated by Socialist Francois Hollande when he ran for re-election. He has since faced a series of investigations into alleged corruption, fraud, favoritism and campaign-funding irregularities.

Sarkozy’s lawyers had previously argued that magistrates investigating the alleged secret Libyan funding exceeded their powers and went on a “fishing expedition” by tapping his conversations with them between September 2013 and March 2014, breaching lawyer-client privilege.

Based on the intercepts, Sarkozy is accused of having discussed offering a promotion to a prosecutor in return for tip-offs on an investigation into accusations that his former party treasurer and others exploited the mental frailty of France’s richest woman, Liliane Bettencourt, to extract political donations in cash.

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy will face trial over charges he misused his influence to secure leaked details of an inquiry into alleged irregularities in his 2007 election campaign, France's financial prosecutor said Thursday

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy will face trial over charges he misused his influence to secure leaked details of an inquiry into alleged irregularities in his 2007 election campaign, France's financial prosecutor said Thursday. Sarkozy's lawyers said he would appeal the decision to send him to court, initially reported by the daily Le Monde. The case came about after investigators used phone-taps to examine separate allegations that late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi funded Sarkozy's campaign and began to suspect he had kept tabs on a separate case through a network of informants. The development came just over a week after Sarkozy was told he was being formally treated as a suspect in the election campaign investigation. Sarkozy was president from 2007 to 2012 but was defeated by Socialist Francois Hollande when he ran for re-election. He has since faced a series of investigations into alleged corruption, fraud, favoritism and campaign-funding irregularities. Sarkozy’s lawyers had previously argued that magistrates investigating the alleged secret Libyan funding exceeded their powers and went on a “fishing expedition” by tapping his conversations with them between September 2013 and March 2014, breaching lawyer-client privilege. Based on the intercepts, Sarkozy is accused of having discussed offering a promotion to a prosecutor in return for tip-offs on an investigation into accusations that his former party treasurer and others exploited the mental frailty of France’s richest woman, Liliane Bettencourt, to extract political donations in cash.

France's Sarkozy to face trial for corruption, influence peddling

Emmanuel Macron became France&#39;s youngest ever president on Sunday, taking over from Socialist Francois Hollande in a solemn ceremony.

Macron, a 39-year-old centrist, arrived at the Elysee Palace in central Paris in a motorcade and walked down the red carpet under light rain to be greeted by Hollande for his inauguration.

The new president&#39;s wife Brigitte, a 64-year-old who was his high school drama teacher, arrived separately for the ceremony wearing a light blue Louis Vuitton outfit.

A week after his victory over far-right leader Marine Le Pen in a tumultuous election, Macron will have a private meeting with Hollande at which he will be given the codes to launch France&#39;s nuclear weapons.

He will then attend a ceremony in front of hundreds of politicians and invited guests at which the official election results will be read out.

At the end of the formalities, a 21-gun salute is to ring out from the Invalides military hospital on the other side of the River Seine.

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Brigitte Macron arrived separately for the ceremony wearing a light blue Louis Vuitton outfit. (AFP)
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Macron will then be driven to the Arc de Triomphe to lay a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier.

The new president faces a host of daunting challenges including tackling stubbornly high unemployment, fighting Islamist-inspired violence and uniting a deeply divided country.

Socialist Hollande&#39;s five years in power were plagued by a sluggish economy and bloody terror attacks that killed more than 230 people and he leaves office after a single term.

The 64-year-old launched Macron&#39;s political career, plucking him from the world of investment banking to be an advisor and then his economy minister.

&quot;I am not handing over power to a political opponent, it&#39;s far simpler,&quot; Hollande said on Thursday.

Security was tight with around 1,500 police officers deployed near the presidential palace and the nearby Champs Elysees avenue and surrounding roads were blocked off.

After a formal lunch, Macron will visit Paris&#39;s town hall, a traditional stop for any new French president in his &quot;host&quot; city.

PM named, then Berlin 
Macron&#39;s first week will be busy. On Monday, he is expected to reveal the closely-guarded name of his prime minister, before flying to Berlin to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

It is virtually a rite of passage for French leaders to make their first European trip to meet the leader of the other half of the so-called &quot;motor&quot; of the EU.

Pro-EU Macron wants to push for closer cooperation to help the bloc overcome the imminent departure of Britain, another of its most powerful members.

He intends to press for the creation of a parliament and budget for the eurozone.

Merkel welcomed Macron&#39;s decisive 32-point victory over Le Pen, saying he carried &quot;the hopes of millions of French people and also many in Germany and across Europe&quot;.

In June, Macron faces what the French media are calling a &quot;third round of the presidential election&quot; when the country elects a new parliament in a two-round vote.

The new president needs an outright majority to be able to enact his ambitious reform agenda.

The year-old political movement &quot;Republique en Marche&quot; (Republic on the Move, REM) that he formed to launch his presidential bid intends to field candidates in virtually every constituency in the country.

It unveiled 428 of its 577 candidates this week, saying it wants to bring fresh faces into the National Assembly lower house of parliament.

Half of them have never held elected office, including a retired female bullfighter and a star mathematician, and half of them are women.

Host of new faces 
Macron met many of the candidates gathered at a Paris museum on Saturday and told them they had an &quot;immense responsibility&quot;.

&quot;You are the new faces of French politics,&quot; some of those present quoted him as saying.

Macron won one of the most unpredictable French elections in modern history marked by scandal, repeated surprises and a last-minute hacking attack on his campaign.

Just as campaigning ended, hundreds of thousands of emails and documents stolen from his campaign were dumped online, leading Macron to call it an attempt at &quot;democratic destabilisation&quot;.

US authorities have said they believe Russian hackers were behind the attack.

The election saw voters reject France&#39;s two traditional political forces of left and right. Their candidates were eliminated in the first round.

Unpopular Hollande was the first to bow to the rebellious mood in December as he became the first sitting president not to seek re-election in the French fifth republic, founded in 1958.

(AFP)

Macron will have a private meeting with his predecessor Francois Hollande at which he will be given the codes to launch France's nuclear weapons

Emmanuel Macron became France's youngest ever president on Sunday, taking over from Socialist Francois Hollande in a solemn ceremony. Macron, a 39-year-old centrist, arrived at the Elysee Palace in central Paris in a motorcade and walked down the red carpet under light rain to be greeted by Hollande for his inauguration. The new president's wife Brigitte, a 64-year-old who was his high school drama teacher, arrived separately for the ceremony wearing a light blue Louis Vuitton outfit. A week after his victory over far-right leader Marine Le Pen in a tumultuous election, Macron will have a private meeting with Hollande at which he will be given the codes to launch France's nuclear weapons. He will then attend a ceremony in front of hundreds of politicians and invited guests at which the official election results will be read out. At the end of the formalities, a 21-gun salute is to ring out from the Invalides military hospital on the other side of the River Seine. Brigitte Macron arrived separately for the ceremony wearing a light blue Louis Vuitton outfit. (AFP) × Macron will then be driven to the Arc de Triomphe to lay a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier. The new president faces a host of daunting challenges including tackling stubbornly high unemployment, fighting Islamist-inspired violence and uniting a deeply divided country. Socialist Hollande's five years in power were plagued by a sluggish economy and bloody terror attacks that killed more than 230 people and he leaves office after a single term. The 64-year-old launched Macron's political career, plucking him from the world of investment banking to be an advisor and then his economy minister. "I am not handing over power to a political opponent, it's far simpler," Hollande said on Thursday. Security was tight with around 1,500 police officers deployed near the presidential palace and the nearby Champs Elysees avenue and surrounding roads were blocked off. After a formal lunch, Macron will visit Paris's town hall, a traditional stop for any new French president in his "host" city. PM named, then Berlin Macron's first week will be busy. On Monday, he is expected to reveal the closely-guarded name of his prime minister, before flying to Berlin to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel. It is virtually a rite of passage for French leaders to make their first European trip to meet the leader of the other half of the so-called "motor" of the EU. Pro-EU Macron wants to push for closer cooperation to help the bloc overcome the imminent departure of Britain, another of its most powerful members. He intends to press for the creation of a parliament and budget for the eurozone. Merkel welcomed Macron's decisive 32-point victory over Le Pen, saying he carried "the hopes of millions of French people and also many in Germany and across Europe". In June, Macron faces what the French media are calling a "third round of the presidential election" when the country elects a new parliament in a two-round vote. The new president needs an outright majority to be able to enact his ambitious reform agenda. The year-old political movement "Republique en Marche" (Republic on the Move, REM) that he formed to launch his presidential bid intends to field candidates in virtually every constituency in the country. It unveiled 428 of its 577 candidates this week, saying it wants to bring fresh faces into the National Assembly lower house of parliament. Half of them have never held elected office, including a retired female bullfighter and a star mathematician, and half of them are women. Host of new faces Macron met many of the candidates gathered at a Paris museum on Saturday and told them they had an "immense responsibility". "You are the new faces of French politics," some of those present quoted him as saying. Macron won one of the most unpredictable French elections in modern history marked by scandal, repeated surprises and a last-minute hacking attack on his campaign. Just as campaigning ended, hundreds of thousands of emails and documents stolen from his campaign were dumped online, leading Macron to call it an attempt at "democratic destabilisation". US authorities have said they believe Russian hackers were behind the attack. The election saw voters reject France's two traditional political forces of left and right. Their candidates were eliminated in the first round. Unpopular Hollande was the first to bow to the rebellious mood in December as he became the first sitting president not to seek re-election in the French fifth republic, founded in 1958. (AFP)

Macron takes office as President of France

Emmanuel Macron will be inaugurated as France&#39;s youngest-ever president on Sunday, facing daunting challenges to rejuvenate the economy and breathe new life into the beleaguered EU.

Macron, a 39-year-old centrist, will take over from President Francois Hollande, the Socialist whose five years in power were plagued by stubborn unemployment and bloody terror attacks, in a ceremony at 0800 GMT.

After ascending the red carpet at the Elysee Palace in central Paris, Macron and Hollande will have a private meeting in the president&#39;s office where Macron will be given the codes to launch France&#39;s nuclear weapons.

Hollande is clearly delighted at the election of the former investment banker, who scored a clear victory over far-right candidate Marine Le Pen on May 7.

The current president launched Macron&#39;s political career, plucking him from the world of investment banking to be an advisor and then his economy minister.

&quot;I am not handing over power to a political opponent, it&#39;s far simpler,&quot; Hollande said on Thursday.

Security will be tight with around 1,500 police officers deployed near the presidential palace and the nearby Champs Elysees avenue and surrounding roads will be blocked off.

At the end of the ceremony, a 21-gun salute will ring out from the Invalides military hospital on the other side of the River Seine.

After a formal lunch, Macron will visit Paris&#39;s town hall, a traditional stop for any new French president in his &quot;host&quot; city.

He will be accompanied by his wife Brigitte, his 64-year-old former drama teacher whose romance with the new president, and their 25-year age gap, has already generated media interest around the world.

PM named, then Berlin 
On Monday, Macron is expected to reveal the closely-guarded name of his prime minister, before flying to Berlin to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

It is virtually a rite of passage for French leaders to make their first European trip to meet the leader of the other half of the so-called &quot;motor&quot; of the EU.

Pro-EU Macron wants to push for closer cooperation to help the bloc overcome the imminent departure of Britain, another of its most powerful members.

He intends to press for the creation of a parliament and budget for the eurozone.

Merkel welcomed Macron&#39;s decisive 32-point victory over Le Pen, saying he carried &quot;the hopes of millions of French people and also many in Germany and across Europe&quot;.

In June, Macron faces what the French media are calling a &quot;third round of the presidential election&quot; when the country elects a new parliament in a two-round vote.

The new president needs an outright majority to be able to enact his ambitious reform agenda.

The year-old political movement &quot;Republique en Marche&quot; (Republic on the Move, REM) that he formed to launch his presidential bid intends to field candidates in virtually every constituency in the country.

It unveiled 428 of its 577 candidates this week, saying it wants to bring fresh faces into the National Assembly lower house of parliament.

Half of them have never held elected office, including a retired female bullfighter and a star mathematician, and half of them are women.

Host of new faces 
Macron met many of the candidates gathered at a Paris museum on Saturday and told them they had an &quot;immense responsibility&quot;.

&quot;You are the new faces of French politics,&quot; some of those present quoted him as saying.

Macron won one of the most unpredictable French elections in modern history marked by scandal, repeated surprises and a last-minute hacking attack on his campaign.

Just as campaigning ended, hundreds of thousands of emails and documents stolen from his campaign were dumped online, leading Macron to call it an attempt at &quot;democratic destabilisation&quot;.

US authorities have said they believe Russian hackers were behind the attack.

The election saw voters reject France&#39;s two traditional political forces of left and right. Their candidates were eliminated in the first round.

Unpopular Hollande was the first to bow to the rebellious mood in December as he became the first sitting president not to seek re-election in the French fifth republic, founded in 1958.&nbsp;

(AFP)

He will be France's youngest-ever President

Emmanuel Macron will be inaugurated as France's youngest-ever president on Sunday, facing daunting challenges to rejuvenate the economy and breathe new life into the beleaguered EU. Macron, a 39-year-old centrist, will take over from President Francois Hollande, the Socialist whose five years in power were plagued by stubborn unemployment and bloody terror attacks, in a ceremony at 0800 GMT. After ascending the red carpet at the Elysee Palace in central Paris, Macron and Hollande will have a private meeting in the president's office where Macron will be given the codes to launch France's nuclear weapons. Hollande is clearly delighted at the election of the former investment banker, who scored a clear victory over far-right candidate Marine Le Pen on May 7. The current president launched Macron's political career, plucking him from the world of investment banking to be an advisor and then his economy minister. "I am not handing over power to a political opponent, it's far simpler," Hollande said on Thursday. Security will be tight with around 1,500 police officers deployed near the presidential palace and the nearby Champs Elysees avenue and surrounding roads will be blocked off. At the end of the ceremony, a 21-gun salute will ring out from the Invalides military hospital on the other side of the River Seine. After a formal lunch, Macron will visit Paris's town hall, a traditional stop for any new French president in his "host" city. He will be accompanied by his wife Brigitte, his 64-year-old former drama teacher whose romance with the new president, and their 25-year age gap, has already generated media interest around the world. PM named, then Berlin On Monday, Macron is expected to reveal the closely-guarded name of his prime minister, before flying to Berlin to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel. It is virtually a rite of passage for French leaders to make their first European trip to meet the leader of the other half of the so-called "motor" of the EU. Pro-EU Macron wants to push for closer cooperation to help the bloc overcome the imminent departure of Britain, another of its most powerful members. He intends to press for the creation of a parliament and budget for the eurozone. Merkel welcomed Macron's decisive 32-point victory over Le Pen, saying he carried "the hopes of millions of French people and also many in Germany and across Europe". In June, Macron faces what the French media are calling a "third round of the presidential election" when the country elects a new parliament in a two-round vote. The new president needs an outright majority to be able to enact his ambitious reform agenda. The year-old political movement "Republique en Marche" (Republic on the Move, REM) that he formed to launch his presidential bid intends to field candidates in virtually every constituency in the country. It unveiled 428 of its 577 candidates this week, saying it wants to bring fresh faces into the National Assembly lower house of parliament. Half of them have never held elected office, including a retired female bullfighter and a star mathematician, and half of them are women. Host of new faces Macron met many of the candidates gathered at a Paris museum on Saturday and told them they had an "immense responsibility". "You are the new faces of French politics," some of those present quoted him as saying. Macron won one of the most unpredictable French elections in modern history marked by scandal, repeated surprises and a last-minute hacking attack on his campaign. Just as campaigning ended, hundreds of thousands of emails and documents stolen from his campaign were dumped online, leading Macron to call it an attempt at "democratic destabilisation". US authorities have said they believe Russian hackers were behind the attack. The election saw voters reject France's two traditional political forces of left and right. Their candidates were eliminated in the first round. Unpopular Hollande was the first to bow to the rebellious mood in December as he became the first sitting president not to seek re-election in the French fifth republic, founded in 1958. (AFP)

Macron to take office as French President today

&nbsp;A police sharpshooter accidentally wounded two people as French President Francois&nbsp;Hollande&nbsp;was giving a speech in the south-west of France on Tuesday, a police source said.

The shooter was on a roof about a hundred metres (109 yards) from a tent where&nbsp;Hollande&nbsp;was speaking. During a change of position his gun fired accidentally, the source said.

A loud noise like a gunshot is heard on video footage of the president&#39;s speech. &quot;I hope there is nothing serious,&quot;&nbsp;Hollande&nbsp;said, then looked to his left and said, &quot;I don&#39;t think so&quot;.

The shot wounded two people in their legs; the injuries were not life-threatening, a prefect of police for Charente region Pierre N&#39;Gahane told BFM-TV.

(Reuters)

The shooter was on a roof about 100 metres from a tent where Hollande was speaking. During a change of position, his gun fired accidentally

A police sharpshooter accidentally wounded two people as French President Francois Hollande was giving a speech in the south-west of France on Tuesday, a police source said. The shooter was on a roof about a hundred metres (109 yards) from a tent where Hollande was speaking. During a change of position his gun fired accidentally, the source said. A loud noise like a gunshot is heard on video footage of the president's speech. "I hope there is nothing serious," Hollande said, then looked to his left and said, "I don't think so". The shot wounded two people in their legs; the injuries were not life-threatening, a prefect of police for Charente region Pierre N'Gahane told BFM-TV. (Reuters)

Police sniper accidentally wounds two during French President's speech

French President Francois Hollande replied bluntly on Monday to Donald Trump&#39;s criticism of the European Union, saying the EU &quot;has no need for outside advice&quot; on its affairs.

&quot;I say it here, Europe will always be willing to pursue transatlantic cooperation, but it will determine its path on the basis of its own interests and values,&quot; Hollande said at a ceremony in Paris for outgoing US ambassador Jane Hartley.

&quot;It has no need for outside advice to tell it what it has to do.&quot;

In a hard-hitting interview published on Sunday by The Times of London and Germany&#39;s Bild, the US president-elect praised Britain&#39;s vote to leave the EU and said Europe had been weakened by its policy on migrants.

He criticised as &quot;catastrophic&quot; Germany&#39;s decision to open its borders to Syrian refugees, hailed Brexit as &quot;a great thing&quot; and predicted other countries would follow Britain in leaving the EU.

&quot;(...) If refugees keep pouring into different parts of Europe... I think it&#39;s gonna be very hard to keep it together because people are angry about it,&quot; said Trump.

Trump also said NATO was &quot;obsolete, because it was designed many, many years ago... (and isn&#39;t) taking care of terror.&quot;

He also noted that only a small number of its 28 members met a commitment on levels of military spending.

Taking aim at Trump but without naming him, Hollande said relations between Europe and the United States &quot;have always been founded on in the same principles and values.

&quot;These values are called respect, mutual support at times of danger, but also commitment to democracy, the defence of freedoms, equality between men and women, the dignity of being a human being.&quot;

And, he added, the principle of offering asylum to those fleeing persecution was a core value shared in Europe and America too.

&#39;Obsolete&#39;

NATO &quot;will only become obsolete when threats become obsolete too,&quot; Hollande added tartly.

&quot;We are committed to our alliances, but we are also able to be self-sufficient strategically. This is what France has always defended, in the name of its independence, in total complementarity with NATO.&quot;

Separately, former French prime minister Manuel Valls said Trump&#39;s remarks amounted to a &quot;declaration of war on Europe,&quot; which the incoming US president &quot;quite simply suggests should break up.&quot;

&quot;Many people thought that Donald Trump, after his election, would calm down. But they forget that a populist may want to implement his programme,&quot; Valls told BFMTV news channel.

&quot;The only response to Donald Trump is European unity,&quot; said Valls.&nbsp;

&quot;Europe is far too divided but there is a joint awareness... we need a very strong response from Europe, France and Germany.&quot;

Valls, 54, quit Hollande&#39;s government last month to stand as a candidate in the Socialist Party&#39;s primary ahead presidential elections due in April.

He is struggling to garner support among grassroots Socialist voters over rightward shifts in policy he took during his two years and eight months in office.

(AFP)

Europe has been weakened by its policy on migrants, Trump had said, praising Britain's decision to leave the EU

French President Francois Hollande replied bluntly on Monday to Donald Trump's criticism of the European Union, saying the EU "has no need for outside advice" on its affairs. "I say it here, Europe will always be willing to pursue transatlantic cooperation, but it will determine its path on the basis of its own interests and values," Hollande said at a ceremony in Paris for outgoing US ambassador Jane Hartley. "It has no need for outside advice to tell it what it has to do." In a hard-hitting interview published on Sunday by The Times of London and Germany's Bild, the US president-elect praised Britain's vote to leave the EU and said Europe had been weakened by its policy on migrants. He criticised as "catastrophic" Germany's decision to open its borders to Syrian refugees, hailed Brexit as "a great thing" and predicted other countries would follow Britain in leaving the EU. "(...) If refugees keep pouring into different parts of Europe... I think it's gonna be very hard to keep it together because people are angry about it," said Trump. Trump also said NATO was "obsolete, because it was designed many, many years ago... (and isn't) taking care of terror." He also noted that only a small number of its 28 members met a commitment on levels of military spending. Taking aim at Trump but without naming him, Hollande said relations between Europe and the United States "have always been founded on in the same principles and values. "These values are called respect, mutual support at times of danger, but also commitment to democracy, the defence of freedoms, equality between men and women, the dignity of being a human being." And, he added, the principle of offering asylum to those fleeing persecution was a core value shared in Europe and America too. 'Obsolete' NATO "will only become obsolete when threats become obsolete too," Hollande added tartly. "We are committed to our alliances, but we are also able to be self-sufficient strategically. This is what France has always defended, in the name of its independence, in total complementarity with NATO." Separately, former French prime minister Manuel Valls said Trump's remarks amounted to a "declaration of war on Europe," which the incoming US president "quite simply suggests should break up." "Many people thought that Donald Trump, after his election, would calm down. But they forget that a populist may want to implement his programme," Valls told BFMTV news channel. "The only response to Donald Trump is European unity," said Valls. "Europe is far too divided but there is a joint awareness... we need a very strong response from Europe, France and Germany." Valls, 54, quit Hollande's government last month to stand as a candidate in the Socialist Party's primary ahead presidential elections due in April. He is struggling to garner support among grassroots Socialist voters over rightward shifts in policy he took during his two years and eight months in office. (AFP)

EU 'has no need for outside advice,' France's Hollande responds to Trump's criticism

French President Francois Hollande vowed that Islamic State would be beaten after a meeting in Iraq with Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Monday, as the militant group killed 24 people with a car bomb in a square in Baghdad.

Iraqi forces backed by a coalition of countries including France are currently fighting to push Islamic State from the northern city of Mosul, its last major stronghold in the country, but are facing fierce resistance.

&quot;Daesh is retreating. And Daesh will be beaten,&quot; Hollande said using an Arabic acronym for Islamic State, adding that French military support in the march on Mosul was contingent on respect for the human rights of civilians.

The meeting with Adabi happened as Islamic State detonated a bomb in the Sadr City district in an attack that killed 24 people.

An online statement distributed by Amaq news agency, which supports the group, said the attack had targeted a gathering of Shi`ite Muslims, whom it considers apostates.

&quot;I invite the security forces and the Iraqi people to be alert, the terrorists are again attacking civilians. I promise the Iraqi people and the French president and all the countries suffering attacks by Islamic State, that we are fighting to end Islamic State,&quot; Abadi said.

(Reuters)

Iraqi forces backed by a coalition including France are currently fighting to push Islamic State from the northern city of Mosul

French President Francois Hollande vowed that Islamic State would be beaten after a meeting in Iraq with Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Monday, as the militant group killed 24 people with a car bomb in a square in Baghdad. Iraqi forces backed by a coalition of countries including France are currently fighting to push Islamic State from the northern city of Mosul, its last major stronghold in the country, but are facing fierce resistance. "Daesh is retreating. And Daesh will be beaten," Hollande said using an Arabic acronym for Islamic State, adding that French military support in the march on Mosul was contingent on respect for the human rights of civilians. The meeting with Adabi happened as Islamic State detonated a bomb in the Sadr City district in an attack that killed 24 people. An online statement distributed by Amaq news agency, which supports the group, said the attack had targeted a gathering of Shi`ite Muslims, whom it considers apostates. "I invite the security forces and the Iraqi people to be alert, the terrorists are again attacking civilians. I promise the Iraqi people and the French president and all the countries suffering attacks by Islamic State, that we are fighting to end Islamic State," Abadi said. (Reuters)

French President Hollande meets Iraq's PM, vows to defeat IS

French President Francois Hollande announced Thursday he would not seek re-election next year as he bowed to historically low approval ratings after a troubled five years in power.

The 62-year-old Socialist leader put a decisive end to speculation in a solemn televised statement from the Elysee Palace in Paris.

&quot;I have decided that I will not be a candidate,&quot; Hollande said.

&quot;In the months to come, my only duty will be to continue to lead my country.&quot;

Hollande&#39;s popularity had hit rock bottom after a term in office marked by U-turns on major policies, terror attacks, high unemployment and embarrassing revelations about his private life.

A new poll on Wednesday predicted he would win just 7.0 per cent of votes in the first round of next year&#39;s election in April -- strengthening critics in the Socialist party who view him as a lame duck.

Voter surveys currently tip rightwing Republicans party candidate Francois Fillon to win the election, with the far-right National Front candidate Marine Le Pen seen as his closest challenger.

But with the full range of candidates still unknown and the role of independents such as 38-year-old ex-minister Emmanuel Macron difficult to predict, analysts urge caution about the forecasts.

Divided Socialists

Hollande&#39;s withdrawal leads the field open for France&#39;s divided ruling Socialist party which began accepting candidates on Thursday for a party primary race due on January 22 and 29.

Arnaud Montebourg, a leftist former economy minister, has already submitted his name while ambitious Prime Minister Manuel Valls would also be expected to run.&nbsp;

Hollande, who has some of the lowest approval ratings for a French president since World War II, came to power after defeating rightwing president Nicolas Sarkozy in 2012.

He took office promising to be &quot;Mr Normal&quot; after what were seen as the excesses of the years under Sarkozy, who married supermodel Carla Bruni and was often pictured with millionaire friends.

But his presidency has been anything but normal.

France has faced three major Islamist-inspired terror attacks since January 2015 -- firstly against the Charlie Hebdo magazine, then in Paris in November and in Nice in July.

On economics, Hollande started with a leftist programme that included a wealth super-tax of 75 percent on top-earners but he shifted course mid-way through his term to embrace pro-business reforms.

And his colourful personal life has never been far from the headlines, leading his opponents to claim he has demeaned one of the most powerful political offices in Europe.

In January 2014, celebrity magazine Closer published pictures of him arriving on a scooter at an apartment near his official residence for secret trysts with a French actress, Julie Gayet.

The revelations led to the break-up of Hollande&#39;s relationship with partner Valerie Trierweiler, who went on to write an eviscerating book which claimed the president mocked poor people as &quot;the toothless&quot;.

The left-leaning Le Monde newspaper had more harsh words on Thursday for the president, whose leadership was described as &quot;pathetic&quot; by Republicans&#39; candidate Fillon at the weekend.

Le Monde wrote in an editorial that the Socialists risked tearing themselves apart ahead of the presidential election in April and May and parliamentary polls in June.&nbsp;

&quot;The person who is most responsable is Francois Hollande, who has not given a meaning to his time in office, occupied the job with authority or imposed himself as the legitimate candidate for his party,&quot; it said.

And there could be more bad news to come.

Hollande&#39;s embittered former aide Aquilino Morelle has announced a tell-all book to be published around the same time as the primary about the president&#39;s first few years in power.

Its title? &quot;The Abdication&quot;.&nbsp;

(AFP)

Hollande's popularity had hit rock bottom after a term in office marked by U-turns on major policies, terror attacks, high unemployment

French President Francois Hollande announced Thursday he would not seek re-election next year as he bowed to historically low approval ratings after a troubled five years in power. The 62-year-old Socialist leader put a decisive end to speculation in a solemn televised statement from the Elysee Palace in Paris. "I have decided that I will not be a candidate," Hollande said. "In the months to come, my only duty will be to continue to lead my country." Hollande's popularity had hit rock bottom after a term in office marked by U-turns on major policies, terror attacks, high unemployment and embarrassing revelations about his private life. A new poll on Wednesday predicted he would win just 7.0 per cent of votes in the first round of next year's election in April -- strengthening critics in the Socialist party who view him as a lame duck. Voter surveys currently tip rightwing Republicans party candidate Francois Fillon to win the election, with the far-right National Front candidate Marine Le Pen seen as his closest challenger. But with the full range of candidates still unknown and the role of independents such as 38-year-old ex-minister Emmanuel Macron difficult to predict, analysts urge caution about the forecasts. Divided Socialists Hollande's withdrawal leads the field open for France's divided ruling Socialist party which began accepting candidates on Thursday for a party primary race due on January 22 and 29. Arnaud Montebourg, a leftist former economy minister, has already submitted his name while ambitious Prime Minister Manuel Valls would also be expected to run. Hollande, who has some of the lowest approval ratings for a French president since World War II, came to power after defeating rightwing president Nicolas Sarkozy in 2012. He took office promising to be "Mr Normal" after what were seen as the excesses of the years under Sarkozy, who married supermodel Carla Bruni and was often pictured with millionaire friends. But his presidency has been anything but normal. France has faced three major Islamist-inspired terror attacks since January 2015 -- firstly against the Charlie Hebdo magazine, then in Paris in November and in Nice in July. On economics, Hollande started with a leftist programme that included a wealth super-tax of 75 percent on top-earners but he shifted course mid-way through his term to embrace pro-business reforms. And his colourful personal life has never been far from the headlines, leading his opponents to claim he has demeaned one of the most powerful political offices in Europe. In January 2014, celebrity magazine Closer published pictures of him arriving on a scooter at an apartment near his official residence for secret trysts with a French actress, Julie Gayet. The revelations led to the break-up of Hollande's relationship with partner Valerie Trierweiler, who went on to write an eviscerating book which claimed the president mocked poor people as "the toothless". The left-leaning Le Monde newspaper had more harsh words on Thursday for the president, whose leadership was described as "pathetic" by Republicans' candidate Fillon at the weekend. Le Monde wrote in an editorial that the Socialists risked tearing themselves apart ahead of the presidential election in April and May and parliamentary polls in June. "The person who is most responsable is Francois Hollande, who has not given a meaning to his time in office, occupied the job with authority or imposed himself as the legitimate candidate for his party," it said. And there could be more bad news to come. Hollande's embittered former aide Aquilino Morelle has announced a tell-all book to be published around the same time as the primary about the president's first few years in power. Its title? "The Abdication". (AFP)

French President Hollande will not seek re-election

EU leaders on Friday backed down from imposing sanctions against Russia for bombing Aleppo, but warned that &quot;all available options&quot; will be considered if Moscow continues bombing Syria.&nbsp;

The European Union leaders had&nbsp;gathered in Brussels to discuss the situation in Syria and&nbsp;Russian &quot;airspace violations, disinformation campaigns, cyber-attacks, interference in political processes in the Balkans and beyond&quot; among other issues, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

After the two-day summit in Brussels, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi demanded&nbsp;the removal of sanctions against Russia from a statement issued after the summit.&nbsp;EU president Donald Tusk said&nbsp;EU leaders wished to &quot;keep the unity of the EU&quot; over Russia.&nbsp;

The altered statement said the EU &quot;strongly condemns the attacks by the Syrian regime and its allies, notably Russia, on civilians in Aleppo&quot; and called for an &quot;immediate cessation of hostilities&quot;.

The statement also read that the EU will &quot;consider all available options, should the current atrocities continue&quot;, AFP reported.&nbsp;

Russia on the same day announced it would stop its onslaught on Aleppo, and the ceasefire was called in for 24 hours.&nbsp;

However, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Holland called for sanctions to remain after their meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.&nbsp;

Merkel said the EU &quot;cannot accept these inhuman bombardments&quot;,&nbsp;adding that &quot;if this kind of violation continues, of course, we will envisage all available measures in order to react to this,&quot; she told reporters.&nbsp;

While Hollande said, &quot;all options are open&nbsp;for as long as there is not a ceasefire that is respected and for as long as there is an intention to destroy this town, Aleppo, a town of martyrs&quot;.&nbsp;

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said the priority was to &quot;make all possible efforts to find a peace deal in Syria&quot;.

British Prime Minister Theresa May called for a &quot;robust and united&quot; move by the EU against the &quot;sickening atrocities&quot; taking place in Syria. This is May&#39;s first EU summit after Brexit.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

The new statement called for 'immediate cessation of hostilities' and 'will consider all available options should the atrocities continue'

EU leaders on Friday backed down from imposing sanctions against Russia for bombing Aleppo, but warned that "all available options" will be considered if Moscow continues bombing Syria. The European Union leaders had gathered in Brussels to discuss the situation in Syria and Russian "airspace violations, disinformation campaigns, cyber-attacks, interference in political processes in the Balkans and beyond" among other issues, Reuters reported. After the two-day summit in Brussels, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi demanded the removal of sanctions against Russia from a statement issued after the summit. EU president Donald Tusk said EU leaders wished to "keep the unity of the EU" over Russia. The altered statement said the EU "strongly condemns the attacks by the Syrian regime and its allies, notably Russia, on civilians in Aleppo" and called for an "immediate cessation of hostilities". The statement also read that the EU will "consider all available options, should the current atrocities continue", AFP reported. Russia on the same day announced it would stop its onslaught on Aleppo, and the ceasefire was called in for 24 hours. However, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Holland called for sanctions to remain after their meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday. Merkel said the EU "cannot accept these inhuman bombardments", adding that "if this kind of violation continues, of course, we will envisage all available measures in order to react to this," she told reporters. While Hollande said, "all options are open for as long as there is not a ceasefire that is respected and for as long as there is an intention to destroy this town, Aleppo, a town of martyrs". Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said the priority was to "make all possible efforts to find a peace deal in Syria". British Prime Minister Theresa May called for a "robust and united" move by the EU against the "sickening atrocities" taking place in Syria. This is May's first EU summit after Brexit. (WION with inputs from AFP)

EU backs down on sanctions against Russia over Aleppo bombing

French President Francois Hollande has confirmed the plans to dismantle the migrant camp in Calais in northern France and relocating thousands refugees living there to reception centres across the country, international news agency AFP reported today.&nbsp; 
 
During a visit to France&#39;s one of the 164 reception centres, Hollande said that the conditions inside the camp &ldquo;are not acceptable, especially for the people who fled war to live there&rdquo;.&nbsp; 
 
Stressing that France should show that it is capable of being &quot;dignified, humane and responsible&rdquo; when it comes to treating refugees, he said they could not have such camps in their country. He will pay the camp a visit on Monday.&nbsp; 
 
The &ldquo;Jungle&rdquo;, as the camp is notoriously known, is home to as many as 9,000 refugees. The southern half of the camp was brought down in February and March this year but its population has since then doubled, according to media reports.&nbsp; 
 
Several media reports also point out that reception and orientation centres across the country will accommodate asylum-seekers for over five months while their cases are studied by the authorities. Those not seeking asylum will be deported.&nbsp; 
 
Pressure from the Right wing 
&nbsp; 
Pressure from conservative predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy and a far-right leader Marine Le Pen is pushing Hollande to take an adamant stand on the issue of migrants, AFP reported today.&nbsp; 
 
The international news agency observes that &quot;Illegal migration&quot; has &quot;plagued France under Hollande&#39;s four-year-long tenure&quot;, prompting the authorities to step up measures.&nbsp; 
 
Meanwhile, Sarkozy, who is bracing up for a comeback as the president, said that once immigrants are granted citizenship &ldquo;they should live like the French&rdquo;.&nbsp; 
 
German chancellor Angela Merkel has also said that Europe should work out a deal with the third-world countries to send back the migrants who &ldquo;do not qualify for asylum&rdquo;.&nbsp; 
 
The decision to dispatch refugees to orientation centres has sparked protests among the far-right conservative leaders who fear &ldquo;graver consequences&rdquo; of keeping refugees in their country.&nbsp; 
 
According to a UN report, more than 300,000 refugees have crossed the Mediterranean this year with thousands drowning in the attempt.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

The President said that the conditions inside the camp are 'unacceptable, especially for people who have fled the war to live there'

French President Francois Hollande has confirmed the plans to dismantle the migrant camp in Calais in northern France and relocating thousands refugees living there to reception centres across the country, international news agency AFP reported today. During a visit to France's one of the 164 reception centres, Hollande said that the conditions inside the camp “are not acceptable, especially for the people who fled war to live there”. Stressing that France should show that it is capable of being "dignified, humane and responsible” when it comes to treating refugees, he said they could not have such camps in their country. He will pay the camp a visit on Monday. The “Jungle”, as the camp is notoriously known, is home to as many as 9,000 refugees. The southern half of the camp was brought down in February and March this year but its population has since then doubled, according to media reports. Several media reports also point out that reception and orientation centres across the country will accommodate asylum-seekers for over five months while their cases are studied by the authorities. Those not seeking asylum will be deported. Pressure from the Right wing Pressure from conservative predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy and a far-right leader Marine Le Pen is pushing Hollande to take an adamant stand on the issue of migrants, AFP reported today. The international news agency observes that "Illegal migration" has "plagued France under Hollande's four-year-long tenure", prompting the authorities to step up measures. Meanwhile, Sarkozy, who is bracing up for a comeback as the president, said that once immigrants are granted citizenship “they should live like the French”. German chancellor Angela Merkel has also said that Europe should work out a deal with the third-world countries to send back the migrants who “do not qualify for asylum”. The decision to dispatch refugees to orientation centres has sparked protests among the far-right conservative leaders who fear “graver consequences” of keeping refugees in their country. According to a UN report, more than 300,000 refugees have crossed the Mediterranean this year with thousands drowning in the attempt. (WION with inputs from agencies)

French President Francois Hollande vows to dismantle Calais migrant camp, relocate refugees

French President Francois Hollande would be crushed if he stood for re-election next year, according to a new opinion poll published on Tuesday. 
 
Already France&#39;s least-loved president, Hollande would be routed in the first round of voting, the survey for newspaper Le Figaro and TV news channel LCI said. 
 
The Socialist leader would get between 11 and 15 per cent of the vote according to nine possible combinations of the various candidates, according to the poll by TNS Sofres-OnePoint. 
 
The figures suggest the run-off vote would be contested between the conservative Republicans party and the far-right National Front, a scenario last seen in 2002. 
 
The poll was conducted between September 2 and 5 among 1,006 voters.&nbsp; 
 
Hollande, mired in deep unpopularity over his handling of the economy, has yet to announce whether he will run for a second term. 
 
In a book published last month, he was quoted as saying he had &quot;the desire&quot; to run, but would not put his name forward &quot;if the signs are that it could not lead to a possibility of victory.&quot; 
 
Under France&#39;s presidential system, if no one garners an absolute majority in the first round, the two front-runners participate in a runoff. 
 
On the right, the Republicans will hold primaries in November that are likely to be a two-horse race between former president Nicolas Sarkozy and former premier Alain Juppe. 
 
The National Front, meanwhile, will be championed by Marine Le Pen, the daughter of the party&#39;s outspoken founder, Jean-Marie Le Pen. 
 
The survey found that Le Pen and either Sarkozy or Juppe would qualify for the second round on the basis of current voting intentions.&nbsp; 
 
Juppe would pick up 33 percent and Le Pen 29 percent in one first-round scenario. In another, Sarkozy would reap 27 percent and Le Pen 29 percent. 
 
Hollande&#39;s former economy minister, 38-year-old Emmanuel Macron, who quit on Tuesday and has hinted he will run, would gain between 15 and 20 percent of the vote, the survey said. 
 
Jean-Luc Melenchon, of the Left Party, would get between 10 and 13 percent. 
 
The first round of voting takes place on April 23, with the runoff on May 7.

(AFP) 
 
 
&nbsp;

The poll findings reveal that the run-off vote would be contested between the conservative Republicans party and the far-right National Front led by the party's founder Jean-Marie Le Pen

French President Francois Hollande would be crushed if he stood for re-election next year, according to a new opinion poll published on Tuesday. Already France's least-loved president, Hollande would be routed in the first round of voting, the survey for newspaper Le Figaro and TV news channel LCI said. The Socialist leader would get between 11 and 15 per cent of the vote according to nine possible combinations of the various candidates, according to the poll by TNS Sofres-OnePoint. The figures suggest the run-off vote would be contested between the conservative Republicans party and the far-right National Front, a scenario last seen in 2002. The poll was conducted between September 2 and 5 among 1,006 voters. Hollande, mired in deep unpopularity over his handling of the economy, has yet to announce whether he will run for a second term. In a book published last month, he was quoted as saying he had "the desire" to run, but would not put his name forward "if the signs are that it could not lead to a possibility of victory." Under France's presidential system, if no one garners an absolute majority in the first round, the two front-runners participate in a runoff. On the right, the Republicans will hold primaries in November that are likely to be a two-horse race between former president Nicolas Sarkozy and former premier Alain Juppe. The National Front, meanwhile, will be championed by Marine Le Pen, the daughter of the party's outspoken founder, Jean-Marie Le Pen. The survey found that Le Pen and either Sarkozy or Juppe would qualify for the second round on the basis of current voting intentions. Juppe would pick up 33 percent and Le Pen 29 percent in one first-round scenario. In another, Sarkozy would reap 27 percent and Le Pen 29 percent. Hollande's former economy minister, 38-year-old Emmanuel Macron, who quit on Tuesday and has hinted he will run, would gain between 15 and 20 percent of the vote, the survey said. Jean-Luc Melenchon, of the Left Party, would get between 10 and 13 percent. The first round of voting takes place on April 23, with the runoff on May 7. (AFP)

France's President Hollande would be routed in re-election bid: Poll

French authorities have filed the first charges tied to the killing of a priest in a church in Normandy, as the government announced on Friday it would consider a temporary ban on foreign financing of mosques. 
 
A 19-year-old man was charged with &quot;criminal conspiracy with terrorists&quot; and locked up over the video on a mobile phone police discovered at his home, a judicial source said. 
 
Three other people were still being held by authorities for questioning. 
 
Three days before the Tuesday attack authorities found a video showing one of the assailants, Abdel Malik Petitjean, pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group and speaking of &quot;a violent action&quot;. 
 
The charges came as French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said he would weigh a temporary ban on foreign financing of mosques, urging a &quot;new model&quot; for relations with Islam after a spate of terror attacks. 
 
Valls, under fire for perceived security lapses around the attacks, also admitted a &quot;failure&quot; in the fact that one of the assailants who stormed the church,&nbsp;19-year-old Adel Kermiche, had been released from prison while awaiting trial on terror charges after his second attempt to travel to Syria. Kermiche&#39;s accomplice Petitjean, also 19, had been on the security watch list since June after trying to reach Syria from Turkey. 
 
In an interview with Le Monde newspaper, he said he was &quot;open to the idea that, for a period yet to be determined, there should be no financing from abroad for the construction of mosques&quot;. 
 
The socialist prime minister also called for imams to be &quot;trained in France, not elsewhere&quot;. He said interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve, whose portfolio also includes religious affairs, was working on building a &quot;new model&quot; for France&#39;s relations with Islam. And Salafism, an ultra-conservative brand of Sunni Islam &quot;has no place in France&quot;, Valls said. 
 
France has just over 2,000 mosques, for Europe&#39;s largest Muslim populations which numbers around five million. Some large mosques have been financed by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf or northern African countries, according to local media reports. 
 
After meeting with President Francois Hollande earlier this week, the rector of the Paris Mosque Dalil Boubakeur himself suggested &quot;certain reforms of the institutions&quot; of Islam. 
 
In northern Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray where 85-year-old priest Jacques Hamel was killed, Muslims and Christians gathered together in mourning after the attack that hit their town. &quot;You share our pain. This pain is also yours,&quot; Reverend Auguste Moanda said, in a rare speech given during Friday prayers at the local mosque. 
 
Both Valls and Cazeneuve have faced calls to resign after the second jihadist attack in less than a fortnight raised questions over France&#39;s vigilance and preparedness. 
 
The government has faced tough questions since it emerged that both church attackers had been on the radar of intelligence services and had tried to go to Syria. 
 
On Friday, L&#39;Express magazine revealed that Kermiche had described the modus operandi of the attack on the encrypted messaging app Telegram. &quot;You take a knife, you go into a church. Bam!&quot; says a chilling message recorded just a few days before the attack. 
 
A source close to the investigation confirmed the authenticity of the message, according to L&#39;Express. Other messages speak of the influence of a &quot;sheikh&quot; Kermiche met in prison, his wish to set up a terrorist cell and details of his failed attempts to reach Syria. 
 
Some 200 people were in the Telegram group receiving the messages, L&#39;Express said. The church attack came as the government was already facing a firestorm of criticism over alleged security failings after the Bastille Day truck massacre in Nice that left 84 people dead two weeks ago. 
 
In the government&#39;s first admission of a lapse since the two attacks, Valls acknowledged Kermiche&#39;s liberty was a &quot;failure, it has to be recognised&quot;, adding that judges needed to take a &quot;different, case-by-case, approach, given the jihadists&#39; very advanced concealment methods&quot;. But he said it was &quot;too easy to hold judges responsible for this act of terrorism.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has come under fire for perceived security lapses around the attacks

French authorities have filed the first charges tied to the killing of a priest in a church in Normandy, as the government announced on Friday it would consider a temporary ban on foreign financing of mosques. A 19-year-old man was charged with "criminal conspiracy with terrorists" and locked up over the video on a mobile phone police discovered at his home, a judicial source said. Three other people were still being held by authorities for questioning. Three days before the Tuesday attack authorities found a video showing one of the assailants, Abdel Malik Petitjean, pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group and speaking of "a violent action". The charges came as French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said he would weigh a temporary ban on foreign financing of mosques, urging a "new model" for relations with Islam after a spate of terror attacks. Valls, under fire for perceived security lapses around the attacks, also admitted a "failure" in the fact that one of the assailants who stormed the church, 19-year-old Adel Kermiche, had been released from prison while awaiting trial on terror charges after his second attempt to travel to Syria. Kermiche's accomplice Petitjean, also 19, had been on the security watch list since June after trying to reach Syria from Turkey. In an interview with Le Monde newspaper, he said he was "open to the idea that, for a period yet to be determined, there should be no financing from abroad for the construction of mosques". The socialist prime minister also called for imams to be "trained in France, not elsewhere". He said interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve, whose portfolio also includes religious affairs, was working on building a "new model" for France's relations with Islam. And Salafism, an ultra-conservative brand of Sunni Islam "has no place in France", Valls said. France has just over 2,000 mosques, for Europe's largest Muslim populations which numbers around five million. Some large mosques have been financed by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf or northern African countries, according to local media reports. After meeting with President Francois Hollande earlier this week, the rector of the Paris Mosque Dalil Boubakeur himself suggested "certain reforms of the institutions" of Islam. In northern Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray where 85-year-old priest Jacques Hamel was killed, Muslims and Christians gathered together in mourning after the attack that hit their town. "You share our pain. This pain is also yours," Reverend Auguste Moanda said, in a rare speech given during Friday prayers at the local mosque. Both Valls and Cazeneuve have faced calls to resign after the second jihadist attack in less than a fortnight raised questions over France's vigilance and preparedness. The government has faced tough questions since it emerged that both church attackers had been on the radar of intelligence services and had tried to go to Syria. On Friday, L'Express magazine revealed that Kermiche had described the modus operandi of the attack on the encrypted messaging app Telegram. "You take a knife, you go into a church. Bam!" says a chilling message recorded just a few days before the attack. A source close to the investigation confirmed the authenticity of the message, according to L'Express. Other messages speak of the influence of a "sheikh" Kermiche met in prison, his wish to set up a terrorist cell and details of his failed attempts to reach Syria. Some 200 people were in the Telegram group receiving the messages, L'Express said. The church attack came as the government was already facing a firestorm of criticism over alleged security failings after the Bastille Day truck massacre in Nice that left 84 people dead two weeks ago. In the government's first admission of a lapse since the two attacks, Valls acknowledged Kermiche's liberty was a "failure, it has to be recognised", adding that judges needed to take a "different, case-by-case, approach, given the jihadists' very advanced concealment methods". But he said it was "too easy to hold judges responsible for this act of terrorism." (AFP)

French authorities file first charges in Normandy church attack

French President Francois Hollande yesterday rejected opposition calls to further harden anti-terrorism legislation after the country&#39;s second jihadist attack in two weeks. 
 
&quot;Restricting our freedoms will not make the fight against terrorism more effective,&quot; he said, adding that changes made to legislation already gave authorities sufficient &quot;capacity to act&quot;. 
 
He was speaking after two jihadists attacked a church in a Normandy town, killing an elderly Catholic priest by slitting his throat, and severely injuring another person. 
 
Hollande&#39;s predecessor and opposition chief Nicolas Sarkozy earlier called for the government to &quot;thoroughly change the strategy of our counterattack.&quot; 
 
&quot;Our enemy has no taboos, no limits, no morals, no borders,&quot; he said, asking the government to adopt proposals made by his right-wing Republicans party. 
 
The opposition wants anyone suspect of being radicalised to be placed in detention and to prevent convicted terrorists from being released from prison after having served time, if they are still considered dangerous. 
 
The Republicans also wants to make it a criminal offence to have spent time in the &quot;field of terrorist operations&quot;, namely Syria and Iraq. 
 
However those returning from jihad are already charges with criminal conspiracy with a terrorist enterprise. 
 
&quot;The government is using all human and material means to fight this threat, with a mobilisation of police, gendarmes and soldiers never before seen in the Fifth Republic,&quot; said Hollande. 
 
The president has urged unity in a country poisoned by bitter political blame-trading over security failings after a Tunisian national mowed down a crowd celebrating Bastille Day on July 14, killing 84. 
 
&quot;What the terrorists want is to divide us, separate us, to tear us apart. We must avoid one-upmanship, arguments, conflation, suspicions,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;This war will be long. Our democracy is the target, and it will be our shield. Let us stand together. We will win this war.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

The opposition wants anyone suspect of being radicalised to be placed in detention and to prevent convicted terrorists from being released

French President Francois Hollande yesterday rejected opposition calls to further harden anti-terrorism legislation after the country's second jihadist attack in two weeks. "Restricting our freedoms will not make the fight against terrorism more effective," he said, adding that changes made to legislation already gave authorities sufficient "capacity to act". He was speaking after two jihadists attacked a church in a Normandy town, killing an elderly Catholic priest by slitting his throat, and severely injuring another person. Hollande's predecessor and opposition chief Nicolas Sarkozy earlier called for the government to "thoroughly change the strategy of our counterattack." "Our enemy has no taboos, no limits, no morals, no borders," he said, asking the government to adopt proposals made by his right-wing Republicans party. The opposition wants anyone suspect of being radicalised to be placed in detention and to prevent convicted terrorists from being released from prison after having served time, if they are still considered dangerous. The Republicans also wants to make it a criminal offence to have spent time in the "field of terrorist operations", namely Syria and Iraq. However those returning from jihad are already charges with criminal conspiracy with a terrorist enterprise. "The government is using all human and material means to fight this threat, with a mobilisation of police, gendarmes and soldiers never before seen in the Fifth Republic," said Hollande. The president has urged unity in a country poisoned by bitter political blame-trading over security failings after a Tunisian national mowed down a crowd celebrating Bastille Day on July 14, killing 84. "What the terrorists want is to divide us, separate us, to tear us apart. We must avoid one-upmanship, arguments, conflation, suspicions," he said. "This war will be long. Our democracy is the target, and it will be our shield. Let us stand together. We will win this war." (AFP)

Hollande rejects opposition calls to harden terror laws

Britain will need months of preparation before Brexit talks can start, European Union Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said today, chiding the government in London for not preparing better for the possibility of a &#39;Leave&#39; vote. 
 
Juncker, who also confirmed Britain would lose unrestricted access to the internal European Union market if it did not accept free movement of workers, said his preference would have been for Brexit talks to start as soon as possible. 
 
&quot;(But) this is not the case. The British government needs several months to fine-tune its position,&quot; Juncker told France 2 television. 
 
New British Prime Minister Theresa May told Juncker in mid-July that Britain hoped to hold positive talks with the EU following the result of the June 23 referendum, but needed time to prepare for the negotiations. 
 
Juncker said there was no deadline, since article 50 of the EU treaty, which specifies the exit procedures, could only be activated by Britain. 
 
&quot;I would have preferred the UK presents us its letter of resignation, so to speak, as soon as possible, as I had thought that the British, especially those who wanted to leave the EU, would have prepared for this possibility,&quot; Juncker said. 
 
He said the EU would not grant tariff-free access to the internal market for UK goods and services if Britain did not accept free movement of workers from within the EU. 
 
&quot;There will be no access to the internal market for those who do not accept the rules, without exception or nuance, that make up the very nature of the internal market system,&quot; Juncker said. 
 
French President Francois Hollande has warned that Britain would lose free EU market access and that the City of London would no longer be able to act as a clearing house in euros, if the UK stopped free movement of workers from Europe. 
 
Asked about Boris Johnson&#39;s comparison of the EU&#39;s aims to unify Europe to those of Adolf Hitler, made before Johnson&#39;s appointment as foreign minister while he was campaigning for the &#39;Leave&#39; camp, Juncker said he was looking forward to meeting him. 
 
&quot;He may notice then that the difference between Hitler and me is more than a matter of nuance,&quot; Juncker said. 
 
(Reuters)

Juncker confirmed Britain would lose tariff-free access to the internal European Union market if it did not accept free movement of workers

Britain will need months of preparation before Brexit talks can start, European Union Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said today, chiding the government in London for not preparing better for the possibility of a 'Leave' vote. Juncker, who also confirmed Britain would lose unrestricted access to the internal European Union market if it did not accept free movement of workers, said his preference would have been for Brexit talks to start as soon as possible. "(But) this is not the case. The British government needs several months to fine-tune its position," Juncker told France 2 television. New British Prime Minister Theresa May told Juncker in mid-July that Britain hoped to hold positive talks with the EU following the result of the June 23 referendum, but needed time to prepare for the negotiations. Juncker said there was no deadline, since article 50 of the EU treaty, which specifies the exit procedures, could only be activated by Britain. "I would have preferred the UK presents us its letter of resignation, so to speak, as soon as possible, as I had thought that the British, especially those who wanted to leave the EU, would have prepared for this possibility," Juncker said. He said the EU would not grant tariff-free access to the internal market for UK goods and services if Britain did not accept free movement of workers from within the EU. "There will be no access to the internal market for those who do not accept the rules, without exception or nuance, that make up the very nature of the internal market system," Juncker said. French President Francois Hollande has warned that Britain would lose free EU market access and that the City of London would no longer be able to act as a clearing house in euros, if the UK stopped free movement of workers from Europe. Asked about Boris Johnson's comparison of the EU's aims to unify Europe to those of Adolf Hitler, made before Johnson's appointment as foreign minister while he was campaigning for the 'Leave' camp, Juncker said he was looking forward to meeting him. "He may notice then that the difference between Hitler and me is more than a matter of nuance," Juncker said. (Reuters)

EU president Juncker: No deadline for start of Brexit talks

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