A court ruled Thursday that former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin did not take part in a smear campaign against President Nicolas Sarkozy, a verdict that means the two rivals may soon be sparring in the political arena again. Villepin, a former diplomat known for his ...

PARIS (Reuters) - Former French Interior Minister Charles Pasqua, convicted last month for his role in an arms scandal in the 1990s, accused former President Jacques Chirac on Thursday of letting illegal weapons sales to Angola go ahead. Pasqua was given a three year sentence, including one year in jail with the rest suspended, and fined 100,000 euros ($150,000 ...

PARIS (Reuters) - Former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin is positioning himself as a challenger to Nicolas Sarkozy in the 2012 presidential election, using a political trial to re-launch his career. While awaiting a verdict on the accusation that he tried to smear Sarkozy before the last election, Villepin has seized a shift in the public mood to attack the ...