Francois Hollande

Former president Nicolas Sarkozy has been charged with taking financial advantage of France's richest woman, as part of a probe into illegal party funding that could shatter his hopes of a political comeback.

Former president Nicolas Sarkozy has been charged with taking financial advantage of France's richest woman, allegations connected with a probe into illegal party funding that could shatter his hopes of a political comeback.

Nicolas Sarkozy's hopes of a political comeback lay in tatters Friday after the former French president was charged in connection with a criminal probe into illegal party financing.

Nicolas Sarkozy's hopes of a political comeback lay in tatters Friday after the former French president was charged in connection with a criminal probe into illegal party financing.

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy was on Thursday charged with taking advantage of the elderly L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt, his lawyer told AFP, adding that he would immediately appeal.

A Malian soldier died in Timbuktu's first suicide bombing as the city came under assault overnight, triggering clashes in which 10 Islamist fighters died, military officials said Thursday.

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy was unexpectedly hauled back before a judge Thursday over claims he accepted envelopes stuffed with cash from France's richest woman to illegally finance his 2007 election campaign.

French President Francois Hollande on Wednesday said Mali's sovereignty over almost all of its territory would be restored within "a few days".

French troops will begin pulling out of troubled Mali "from the end of April", French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault told parliament on Wednesday.

French Budget Minister Jerome Cahuzac resigned on Tuesday after prosecutors announced a probe into a Swiss bank account he allegedly used to hide assets from the tax authorities.

European aircraft maker Airbus announced a record order worth 18.4 billion euros ($23.8 billion) from the Indonesian company Lion Air for 234 medium-range A320 jets.

Europe's main stock markets lost ground and the euro fell under $1.30 on Monday on news that Cyprus might tax bank deposits as part of a controversial international bailout.

Europe's main stock markets lost ground on Monday on news that Cyprus might tax bank deposits as part of a controversial international bailout.

Lion Air, a little-known carrier launched 13 years ago with just one plane, has struck two of the world's largest aircraft orders in a staggering $46 billion bet on Indonesia's air transport boom.

Europe's Airbus has won a record order worth 18.4 billion euros ($23.8 billion) from Indonesia's Lion Air for 234 medium-haul A320 jets, the French presidency announced Monday.

Close to the banks of the Niger river, men in the north Malian city of Gao gather at nightfall to drink beer, in one of the daily signs of life in a town whose residents are working to wipe out all traces of hardline Islamist occupation.

European aerospace giant Airbus will sign Monday what would mark one of its biggest orders ever from Indonesia's Lion Air for more than 200 A320 medium-haul jets, business daily Les Echos reported.

European aerospace giant Airbus will sign an order from Indonesian low-cost carrier Lion Air for more than 200 A320 medium-haul jets at a ceremony Monday with French President Francois Hollande, business daily Les Echos reported in its Monday edition.

A French corporal was killed tracking down jihadist fighters in their northern Mali mountain bastions, bringing to five the number of French deaths since Paris launched a military offensive in the country two months ago.

European aerospace giant Airbus will sign an order from Indonesian low-cost carrier Lion Air for more than 200 A320 medium-haul jets at a ceremony Monday with French President Francois Hollande, business daily Les Echos reported in its Monday edition.