Foreign
Sarkozy, ex-French president jailed 5 years for fraud
Nicolas Sarkozy has become the first French ex-president to go to jail, as he starts a five-year sentence for conspiring to fund his election campaign with money from late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
Not since World War Two Nazi collaborationist leader Philippe Pétain was jailed for treason in 1945 has any French ex-leader gone behind bars.
Sarkozy, who was president from 2007-2012, has appealed against his jail term at La Santé prison, where he will occupy a small cell in the its isolation wing.
More than 100 people applauded and shouted “Nicolas!” as he left his villa in the exclusive 16th district of Paris, holding his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy by the hand.
Nicolas Sarkozy, 70, was driven through the entrance of the notoriously overcrowded 19th-Century prison in the Montparnasse district south of the River Seine at 09:40 local time (07:40 GMT), while dozens of police officers cordoned off most of the surrounding streets.
He continues to protest his innocence in the highly controversial Libyan money affair and posted a message on X as he was driven to the jail, saying: “I have no doubt. Truth will prevail. But how crushing the price will have been.”
“With unwavering strength I tell [the French people] it is not a former president they are locking up this morning – it is an innocent man,” he wrote. “Do not feel sorry for me because my wife and my children are by my side… but this morning I feel deep sorrow for a France humiliated by a will for revenge.”
Moments after Sarkozy entered jail, his lawyer Christophe Ingrain said a request for his release had been filed. Nothing justified his imprisonment, said Mr Ingrain, adding: “He’ll be inside for at least three weeks or a month.”
Sarkozy has said he wants no special treatment at La Santé prison, although he has been put in its isolation section for his own safety as other inmates are infamous drugs dealers or have been convicted for terror offences.
Sarkozy’s cell in the prison’s isolation wing is believed to be on the top floor and will measure between 9-11 sq m (95-120 sq ft). There had earlier been talk of him serving his term in the another wing for “vulnerable people”, where other VIPs have been jailed in the past.
He will have a toilet, a shower, a desk, a small electric hob and a small TV, for which he will have to pay a monthly €14 (£12) fee, and the right to a small fridge.
The former president has the right to receive information from the outside world and family visits as well as written and phone contact.
But he is in effect in solitary confinement, allowed just one hour a day for exercise, by himself in the wing’s segregated courtyard.
“Conditions of detention in an isolation wing are pretty hard,” La Santé ex-deputy head Flavie Rault told BFMTV. “You are alone, all the time. The only contact you have is with prison staff. You never come across another detainee for security reasons and there’s a type of social isolation which makes life difficult”.
At the end of last week, Sarkozy was received at the Élysée Palace by President Emmanuel Macron, who told reporters on Monday “it was normal that on a human level I should receive one of my predecessors in that context”.
Macron stressed on Tuesday that it was not his role “to comment on or criticise judicial decisions”, but he said it was normal that for many in France the sight of “a president jailed by this judicial decision would provoke comment”.
In a further measure of official support for the ex-president, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said he would go to visit him in prison as part of his role in ensuring Sarkozy’s safety and the proper functioning of the jail.
“I cannot be insensitive to a man’s distress,” he added.
Ever since he left office in 2012, Sarkozy has been dogged by criminal inquiries and for months had to wear an electronic tag around his ankle after a conviction last December for trying to bribe a magistrate for confidential information about a separate case.
Late next month, France’s highest administrative court will give its verdict on Sarkozy’s appeal against a six-month jail term in another illegal campaign financing case known as the Bygmalion affair.
Ahead of his arrival at La Santé prison, Sarkozy gave a series of media interviews, telling La Tribune: “I’m not afraid of prison. I’ll keep my head held high, including at the prison gates.”
Sarkozy has always denied doing anything wrong in a case involving allegations that his 2007 presidential campaign was funded by millions of euros in Libyan cash.
The former centre-right leader was cleared of personally receiving the money but convicted of criminal association with two close aides, Brice Hortefeux and Claude Guéant, for their role in secret campaign financing from the Libyans.
The two men both had talks with Gaddafi’s intelligence chief and brother-in-law in 2005, a meeting arranged by a Franco-Lebanese intermediary called Ziad Tiakeddine, who died in Lebanon shortly before Sarkozy’s conviction.
As he lodged an appeal, Sarkozy is still considered innocent but he has been told he must go to jail in view of the “exceptional seriousness of the facts”.
Sarkozy said he would take two books with him into prison, a life of Jesus by Jean-Christian Petitfils and the Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas’s classic story of a man wrongly imprisoned who escapes to wreak vengeance on his prosecutors.
Iran has ruled out fresh negotiations with the United States at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, despite US President Donald Trump saying he expects talks between the two countries to resume this week.
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported Monday that the Iranian delegation in New York had no plans to hold negotiations with Washington, citing an unnamed source close to the delegation.
The development came a day after Trump told Axios that he expected US and Iranian representatives to engage in further discussions following Washington’s rejection of Tehran’s latest proposal concerning the Strait of Hormuz.
“Iran’s delegation in New York has no plans for negotiations with the United States,” IRNA quoted the source as saying.
However, indirect diplomatic contacts appear to be continuing through regional mediators, particularly Qatar. Axios reported that Qatari officials have been shuttling between Iranian and US negotiators in an effort to narrow differences between the two sides.
Iran has proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz within seven days as part of a broader arrangement to halt hostilities. Tehran has linked the proposal to demands including the lifting of the US naval blockade, removal of sanctions affecting its oil exports and a regional ceasefire.
The Strait of Hormuz is a crucial global energy corridor through which a significant share of the world’s oil trade passes, making the dispute over access to the waterway a major concern for international energy markets.
The latest diplomatic standoff follows months of conflict between Washington and Tehran. Iran has sought to use negotiations over the strait as a pathway toward a broader settlement, while the Trump administration has also pressed Tehran over its nuclear programme.
Trump rejected Iran’s latest proposal on Saturday but said the door to further discussions remained open. According to Axios, he said he expected more talks during the week and that Qatar and other regional mediators were continuing efforts to revive negotiations.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also indicated Sunday that Tehran remained open to diplomacy, saying Iran was waiting for an official response through mediators despite Trump’s rejection of the proposal.
The conflicting statements highlight the uncertainty surrounding the next phase of US-Iran diplomacy, with Washington signalling interest in further talks while Tehran says its delegation currently in New York has no plans for direct negotiations.
Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic announced his resignation on Sunday, seven months before his tenure was originally scheduled to expire.
56-year-old Vucic ended his second and final five-year term amid campaigning for the October 25 snap parliamentary vote to elect 250 members of the National Assembly.
His departure sets the stage for early presidential elections and allows him to be appointed Prime Minister if the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) retains majority control of government.
“I have faithfully served you and my fatherland, Serbia. I am proud of what we have done together,” he told supporters at the Presidency building in Belgrade.
The populist politician, who previously served as Minister of Defence, said the first round of presidential elections will be held by the end of December.
Serbia’s constitution stipulates that the presidential election must be completed within 90 days, with the campaign lasting between 30 and 60 days.
Outgoing parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic will serve as acting President until her successor is elected. She was the Prime Minister from 2017 until 2024.
Factor Plus polling places public support for Vucic’s United Serbia, led by the SNS, at 49%. The youth-backed opposition challenger, known as the Student List, has about 37% popularity.
The movement stemmed from the “Students in Blockade” group after the collapse of the Novi Sad railway station canopy in November 2024, which sparked anti-corruption protests.
The group, which comprises academics, public figures, and professionals, gathered nearly 70,000 signatures and was proclaimed as number 3 on the ballot by the Electoral Commission.
At least 27 people have been killed and 26 others wounded in two separate mass shootings near South Africa’s two biggest cities, Johannesburg and Cape Town, triggering a police manhunt for the attackers.
The shootings occurred within hours of each other, adding to growing concern over gun violence and organised crime in the country.
In the first attack, eight gunmen armed with assault rifles and pistols stormed a tavern in Wedela township, about 80 kilometres southwest of Johannesburg, at around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Police said the attackers opened fire on patrons drinking outside before moving into the tavern and continuing the shooting.
Seventeen people — 13 men and four women — were killed, while 15 others sustained gunshot injuries.
The suspects reportedly searched some patrons and took their mobile phones before fleeing in two vehicles, which they later set ablaze. No arrests had been made as of Sunday, according to police.
The motive for the Wedela attack remained unclear. However, police said preliminary information suggested it could have been linked to an earlier incident at the same tavern.
Deputy provincial police commissioner Major General Fred Kekana said investigators had obtained images of the suspects and were confident they would eventually be identified and arrested.
The shooting occurred in an area where authorities have been intensifying operations against illegal mining and criminal networks operating around abandoned mine shafts.
Second attack near Cape Town
Hours later, another mass shooting was reported in Lwandle township, near Cape Town.
Police said gunmen opened fire at an entertainment venue selling grilled meat at about 1:46 a.m. on Sunday, killing 10 people and injuring 11 others.
Five victims died at the scene, while five others succumbed to their injuries after being taken to medical facilities.
Police said detectives were searching for the perpetrators, with no arrests reported in connection with the attack.
Videos circulating on social media showed people drinking and dancing before gunfire erupted, sending revellers scrambling for safety.
Ramaphosa vows action
The two attacks came just days after another mass shooting near Durban in which 11 people, including a pregnant woman, were killed at a house party.
South Africa has long struggled with high levels of violent crime, with shootings frequently linked to gangs, organised criminal groups and disputes involving local businesses.
President Cyril Ramaphosa condemned the latest attacks and said security agencies would continue efforts to reduce violent crime.
“This cannot go on like this,” Ramaphosa said, stressing that people should not be able to pick up firearms and randomly shoot others.
South Africa has repeatedly deployed soldiers to support police operations in areas affected by serious violence and organised crime.
Despite those efforts, shootings remain a persistent security challenge.
The latest attacks have renewed questions about the availability of firearms, organised crime and the ability of security agencies to prevent repeated mass-casualty shootings.
Police investigations into both incidents are ongoing, and authorities are urging anyone with information about the attackers to come forward.
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