The five-year-old daughter told her mother she saw the caregiver transfer soapy liquid into an alcohol bottle labeled "Jerusalem."

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This prominent case of antisemitism has generated outrage over several generations, and France on Tuesday promoted Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish army captain who was incorrectly convicted of treason in 1894, to the status of brigadier general as an act of formal reparation, France 24 reported. The law is regarded as a significant symbolic action in contemporary France's battle against antisemitism, arriving during a period of rising concern regarding hate crimes directed at Jews within the country, amid the context of the Gaza conflict.

On Monday, President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu affixed their signaAlfred Dreyfus, brigadier general, antisemitism, treason convictiontures to the promotion, establishing it as law, which subsequently appeared in the Official Journal of new legislation on Tuesday. "The French nation posthumously promotes Alfred Dreyfus to the rank of brigadier general," the law stated. The legislation received unanimous support from the lower house of Parliament in June, and the Senate endorsed the measure earlier this month, according to France 24.

In October 1894, Dreyfus, then a 36-year-old army captain from the Alsace area of eastern France, faced accusations of transmitting secret data regarding new artillery equipment to a German military attaché. The "Dreyfus affair" began with this accusation, which was based on comparing the handwriting on a piece of paper found in the German official's wastepaper basket in Paris.

Amid an aggressive antisemitic press campaign, Dreyfus underwent a trial. However, the celebrated "J'accuse...!" ("I accuse") pamphlet was subsequently written by novelist Emile Zola to support the captain. Despite the absence of concrete evidence, the captain was convicted of treason, given a life sentence at the notorious Devil's Island penal colony in French Guiana, and publicly stripped of his rank.

The head of the intelligence services, Lieutenant Colonel Georges Picquart, secretly reopened the investigation and determined that the handwriting on the damning message belonged to Ferdinand Walsin Esterhazy, another officer. When Picquart presented this evidence to the general staff of the French army, he was himself forced out of the military and jailed for a year, while Esterhazy was acquitted.

The captain was brought back to France for a second trial in June 1899. He was initially found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in prison, before receiving an official pardon, although his name was not cleared of the charges. It took until 1906, following numerous unforeseen developments, for the High Court of Appeal to overturn the initial ruling, thereby exonerating Dreyfus. He was restored to his position with the rank of major and awarded a Legion d'Honneur decoration. Serving during World War I, he passed away in 1935 at the age of 76.

Individuals who advocated for the new law hold the belief that had Dreyfus been permitted to continue his professional pursuits normally, he would have advanced to the highest position within the French army.

The largest Jewish community outside of Israel and the United States resides in France, which also hosts one of the biggest Muslim communities in the European Union. Since the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the number of reported assaults against members of France's Jewish community has increased significantly.

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Descoubes was sailing the SV Liahona, an 11.3-meter vessel, alongside experienced American sailor Nathan Perrins, 48, according to Sud-Ouest. The pair was scheduled for a Bermuda stopover on November 6, but all signals stopped the day before. Sud-Ouest also cited the maritime agency Boat Watch, which reported the last known position at 8:12 p.m. (Atlantic time) via GPS, about sixteen hours from Bermuda. The captain signaled low fuel but mentioned no "imminent danger" before communications ceased.

https://t.co/0oYLSZ0aHE

— noosh (@callilomy) November 11, 2025

The US Coast Guard and the Bermuda coordination center have initiated search operations, which have so far been unsuccessful, Sud-Ouest confirmed. The missing vessel is a cutter-type sailboat, identifiable by its white hull, navy blue finishes, and the call sign WDC5117.

Those close to the sailor are holding out hope and asking other boaters in the area to remain watchful. France 3 Nouvelle-Aquitaine contacted the sailor's mother, Nathalie Le Roux, who sought to be reassuring: "Avec Marie, il ne faut jamais s'inquiéter. C'est une très bonne navigatrice, le monsieur aussi a l'air très bien. J'ai peur d'alerter trop tôt et qu'elle me dise, 'Maman, tu t'es encore inquiétée pour rien'." (Attribution: Sud-Ouest / France 3 Nouvelle-Aquitaine).

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On November 1, the criminals reached out again, accusing the company of not being serious. "We explained the situation to him while attempting again to build trust, we received another time window," said Zvika Neve, CEO of CGI Group. "But unfortunately, once again the French ego sabotaged the opportunity to return the jewels." The correspondence ended three days ago without result.

On October 19, four thieves disguised as construction workers broke into the Louvre Museum. The thieves arrived in a truck with a crane, climbed to the first floor, smashed a window, and entered the Apollo Gallery. Within minutes, nine historic jewels belonging to the French royal families were stolen. Empress Eugénie's crown – the most valuable – was found broken outside the museum.

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"'At the time of his arrest, [the man] shouted Allah Akbar. However, the motive is not confirmed and the investigation will have to determine it ,'" the La Rochelle public prosecutor told Le Figaro, according to GMT. French media also reported the man tried to ignite gas cylinders inside his car. Mr Laraize, a prosecutor, stated this claim is being verified and that the anti-terrorism prosecutor's office is "'not involved at this stage'."

French President Emmanuel Macron is monitoring the incident while en route to Brazil, BFMTV reported. The suspect, cited by GMT, is a 35-year-old man from La Cotinière, a village near Saint-Pierre-d'Oléron.

The mayor of Saint-Pierre-d'Oléron, Christophe Sueur, informed Le Parisien the suspect is "'known for his numerous transgressions, notably due to his regular consumption of drugs and alcohol,'" and is not on a terror radicalization list. The attack on Wednesday morning, which occurred between Dolus-d'Oléron and Saint-Pierre-d'Oléron, injured both pedestrians and cyclists.

Victims of the attack were airlifted to the University Hospital of Poitiers. French media also noted that a psychological support unit was established at Château d'Oléron.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez confirmed the incident on X, stating: "'A motorist struck several pedestrians and cyclists on his route in Saint Pierre d´Oléron and Dolus d'Oléron. The suspect has been taken into custody by the gendarmes. An investigation has been opened." He added, "'At the request of the Prime Minister, I am heading to the scene,'" as reported by GMT.

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Prosecutors in Paris demanded sentences of up to one year suspended prison and fines of up to 8,000 euros ($8,976) for ten defendants charged with online sexual harassment of the first lady.

Auzière, 41, testified in court that the unfounded claims about her mother's gender caused a "deterioration" in her health. "She has to constantly pay attention to what she wears, how she stands, because she knows her image might be distorted," Auzière said. Auzière added that Brigitte's grandchildren suffer harassment at school because of this.

Auzière testified that "it's important for her to be here to present the damage caused" to her mother, adding that she "wants to tell what her life has become from the moment these attacks began." Auzière said her mother "wasn't elected and didn't ask for this, and found herself under attack."

Claims that Brigitte Macron was born male have circulated since her husband's election to the presidency in 2017, mainly by far-right circles and conspiracy theory supporters in France and the US. The first lady filed a complaint in August 2024 that led to an investigation and arrests in December 2024 and February 2025.

Ten defendants – eight men and two women, ages 41 to 60 – will be tried in a Paris criminal court, charged with sexually harassing Brigitte Macron. Two additional defendants, residents of Corsica, are charged not only with online harassment but also with exploiting a loophole in the French tax system to change Brigitte's name to a male name as part of the effort to spread the conspiracy theory.

Parallel to the Paris trial, the Macrons filed a defamation lawsuit in the US in July against Candace Owens, a far-right podcast host known for spreading wild conspiracies and anti-Israel propaganda. Owens produced a series called "Becoming Brigitte" and, in March 2024, said she was willing to bet "all her professional credibility" that Brigitte Macron was born male.

According to the Macrons' American attorney, they plan to present photographic and "scientific" evidence in court proving the first lady is a woman.

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This diplomatic incident somewhat reflects Europe's situation and that of Western leaders regarding the agreement that led to the Gaza ceasefire – they would like to be far more involved, and they would also like people to know it. Nevertheless, some European countries want to be more central in the process, the foremost among them being France. But Europe itself is divided on how to do this.

Now, after the agreement, Macron declares that France is "ready to continue its goal of a two-state solution" – the French understand they must not anger Trump, but see the agreement as an opportunity to advance the French-Saudi initiative.

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The 70-year-old former president, who led France from 2007 to 2012, was cleared of other charges, including passive corruption, illegal campaign financing, concealment of embezzled public funds, and criminal association, according to ABC News. Sarkozy is expected to file an immediate appeal, which would suspend the sentence during the appeals process.

Prosecutors alleged that Sarkozy struck a corrupt agreement with Gaddafi's regime in 2005, while serving as France's interior minister, to secure campaign funds for his 2007 presidential campaign. In return, prosecutors claimed, Sarkozy agreed to help rehabilitate Libya's international standing at a time when the country faced diplomatic isolation, according to ABC News.

The case centers on allegations that the Libyan government secretly transferred millions of euros to Sarkozy's campaign through suitcases of cash delivered to Paris. The allegations first surfaced in 2011, when both a Libyan news agency and Gaddafi himself claimed Libya had covertly financed Sarkozy's electoral victory.

According to ABC News, French investigative publication Mediapart added fuel to the controversy in 2012 by publishing what it described as a Libyan intelligence document detailing a 50 million-euro funding arrangement. While Sarkozy dismissed the document as fraudulent and filed defamation charges, French magistrates subsequently determined the memo appeared genuine, though definitive proof of the money transfer remains elusive.

The investigation examined multiple trips to Libya by Sarkozy's associates during his tenure as interior minister between 2005 and 2007. Key testimony came from Franco-Lebanese businessman Ziad Takieddine, who initially told Mediapart in 2016 that he personally transported cash-filled suitcases from Tripoli to the French interior ministry. Takieddine later withdrew these claims, ABC News reported.

His reversal prompted a separate investigation into potential witness tampering, resulting in preliminary charges against both Sarkozy and his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy. That case has yet to proceed to trial. Takieddine, who was among 11 co-defendants in the current case, died Tuesday in Beirut at age 75. He had fled to Lebanon in 2020 and did not participate in the trial.

Throughout the three-month proceedings, Sarkozy maintained his innocence, characterizing the charges as a politically motivated conspiracy orchestrated by what he called "liars and crooks," including members of the "Gaddafi clan." He argued the allegations represented retaliation for his role in calling for Gaddafi's ouster during the 2011 Arab Spring uprising, when he became one of the first Western leaders advocating military intervention in Libya. Gaddafi's 40-year rule ended with his death during Libya's 2011 uprising. "What credibility can be given to such statements marked by the seal of vengeance?" Sarkozy asked during the trial, according to ABC News.

The verdict marks Sarkozy as the first former French president convicted of accepting illegal foreign campaign contributions. His legal troubles extend beyond this case. In June, authorities stripped him of France's Legion of Honor medal following a separate conviction for corruption and influence peddling, ABC News reported.

That earlier case involved attempts to bribe a magistrate in 2014 for information about another legal matter. Sarkozy received a sentence requiring him to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet for one year, though he secured conditional release in May due to his age, removing the device after approximately three months.

Additionally, Sarkozy was convicted last year of illegal campaign financing in his unsuccessful 2012 reelection campaign, allegedly spending nearly double the legal limit. He received a one-year prison sentence with six months suspended. That verdict is under appeal to France's highest court.

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The Regavim CEO emphasized in his letter to Sa'ar the very unusual status of a "consulate" that is not subordinate to the French ambassador in Israel – and mentioned the precedent of a parallel American diplomatic mission that was recently closed by the Trump administration. In the Atlantico investigation, journalists Sabrina Deliry and Joel Rey expose disturbing connections between the French consulate in Jerusalem and Palestinian terror organizations, including Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

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Starmer has faced heavy pressure within his own Labour Party to recognize a Palestinian state, a pledge already included in the party's election platform. More than half of Labour MPs signed a letter urging the government to recognize a Palestinian state immediately.

In July, Starmer declared that Britain would recognize a Palestinian state unless Israel met three conditions: agreement to a ceasefire in Gaza, commitment to a long-term peace deal leading to a two-state solution, and a halt to actions undermining such a deal, including annexation of land in Judea and Samaria.

According to earlier reports, Starmer postponed the announcement until after US President Donald Trump's visit to the UK earlier this week, amid disagreements between London and Washington on the issue. Trump himself acknowledged at a joint press conference with Starmer that the two leaders were "divided on the matter."

The expected decision has drawn sharp criticism. On Friday, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch called recognition "a reward for terror." Britain's Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, urged the government to halt the move. "The recognition being proposed is not contingent on a functioning or democratic Palestinian government, nor even on the most basic commitment to a peaceful future," he was quoted by the BBC as saying. "Astonishingly, it is not even conditioned on the release of the 48 hostages still in captivity."

Government sources told the BBC that demands on Hamas to release the hostages and agree to a ceasefire had not changed, but officials at the Foreign Office argued that statehood was a right of the Palestinian people and could not depend on Hamas, which the government regards as a terrorist organization. At his joint press conference with Trump on Thursday, Starmer stressed that Hamas could have "no part" in a future Palestinian state.

Meanwhile, a JL Partners poll published Saturday by The Telegraph cast doubt on public backing for Palestinian recognition. According to the survey, nearly 90% of the population does not support recognition without preconditions. The poll, conducted between August 19 and 31 among 2,118 respondents, found that just 13% of Britons favor unconditional recognition, including only 11% of Labour voters. A majority, 51%, opposes recognition as long as Hamas controls Gaza and holds hostages. Forty percent believe recognition should be conditional on Hamas agreeing to a ceasefire and releasing the captives. Seventeen percent oppose recognition under any circumstances, while 52% say the move rewards terrorism.

The survey showed opposition to unconditional recognition cuts across party lines: 94% of Conservative voters, 89% of Labour voters, and 92% of those backing Reform UK, which is currently leading in the polls, oppose the move. Among Green Party supporters, support was higher at 32%.

James Johnson, co-founder of JL Partners, said the poll exposed a "disconnect" between Starmer and the public. "Only 13% say Britain should recognize a Palestinian state unconditionally. Among Labour voters themselves it is just 11%," he said. "The median view of the British public is that recognition must come with conditions: an agreed ceasefire and the release of the hostages."

The move is part of a French-Saudi effort to advance a two-state solution. The summit has already triggered a wave of recognition of a Palestinian state, sweeping up Britain, Canada, Australia, Belgium, Portugal and several other countries. A previous meeting of the initiative in July led to the drafting of the "New York Declaration," adopted earlier this month by the UN General Assembly with support from 142 states.

According to French media, President Emmanuel Macron is expected Monday evening to announce France's official recognition of a Palestinian state at the UN in New York. Portugal's Foreign Ministry announced Saturday that it too will formally recognize a Palestinian state today. "The Foreign Ministry confirms that Portugal will recognize the State of Palestine... The official declaration of recognition will take place on Sunday, September 21," the ministry said.

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