Liliane Bettencourt

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy and two former associates have been sentenced to three years in jail - two of them suspended - for corruption.

Sarkozy, 66, was found guilty of trying to bribe a magistrate, Gilbert Azibert, by offering a prestigious job in Monaco in return for information about a criminal inquiry into his political party.

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy goes on trial on Nov. 23 on charges of corruption and influence peddling in a phone-tapping scandal, a first for the 65-year-old politician who has faced several other judicial investigations since leaving office in 2012.

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been sent to trial for corruption and influence peddling, The Guardian writes.
The case centres over phone calls Sarkozy allegedly made to a senior judge who was investigating claims that his 2007 presidential campaign was illegally funded.

L’Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt has died at 94.

According to an announcement made by her family she passed away “peacefully” overnight at home.

With an estimated 2017 net worth of 33bn euros (£30bn; $40bn), she was the world’s richest woman.

Their total assets surpass 250 billion dollars, and collectively, their combined assets are more than the Greek GDP for 2014.

1. Christy Walton, American philanthropist and Walmart heir
41.3 billion dollars

A French court ruled May 7 that secret wiretap recordings of former president Nicolas Sarkozy talking with his lawyer could be used as evidence in an ongoing corruption probe, one of his legal team confirmed.
 

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been taken into custody for questioning, according to legal sources.

He is being investigated over alleged influence peddling, according to the BBC.

Hours earlier, it was reported that his lawyer and two magistrates had also been and interrogated as part of a corruption probe involving Sarkozy.