French first lady appeals in gender rumours case: Lawyer
On Thursday, the Paris appeals court overturned earlier convictions against the two women for spreading false claims -- that went viral online -- that Brigitte Macron, 72, used to be a man.
Disinformation on Macron's gender has circulated on social media for years. Her 24-year age difference with President Emmanuel Macron has also attracted much comment.
Brigitte Macron filed a libel complaint against the two women after they posted a YouTube video in December 2021, alleging she had once been a man named Jean-Michel Trogneux -- who is actually Brigitte Macron's brother.
In the video, defendant Amandine Roy, a self-proclaimed spiritual medium, interviewed Natacha Rey, a self-described independent journalist, for four hours on her YouTube channel.
Rey spoke about the "state lie" and "scam" she claimed to have uncovered that Jean-Michel Trogneux had changed gender to become Brigitte, and then married the future president.
The claim went viral, including among conspiracy theorists in the United States.
A lower court in September last year had ordered the two women to pay 8,000 euros ($9,400) in damages to Brigitte Macron, and 5,000 euros to her brother.
Brigitte Macron's lawyer Jean Ennochi told the media on Sunday that her brother, too, was taking his case against the dismissal of the charges to the highest appeals court, the Court de Cassation.
Agence France-Presse
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Today
3 days ago
- Gulf Today
Druze elder humiliated in viral video found alive, granddaughter says
The granddaughter of a Druze elder, whose humiliation at the hands of an armed man was captured in a viral video as Syrian forces entered Sweida this week, said he had been found alive following claims he was dead. The widely circulated video showed Sheikh Merhej Shahin, 80, in front of his home as a man in military attire forcibly shaved off his moustache — a grave insult in the Druze community. The family had desperately tried to contact Shahin for hours after the video began spreading on Tuesday, his granddaughter Christine Shahin told AFP, but his phone was ultimately answered by an unknown person who taunted them, saying the elder had "met his end". But on Thursday she said he had been found alive and well by Druze fighters in the wake of government forces' withdrawal. "Thank God, my grandfather is now home," she said. "After the siege of our village was lifted, the young men found him safe and sound." Syrian government forces on Tuesday entered the majority-Druze city of Sweida, in the country's south, with the stated aim of overseeing a ceasefire after clashes between local fighters and Bedouin tribes left dozens dead. However, witnesses reported that the government forces joined with the Bedouin in attacking Druze fighters and civilians in a bloody rampage through the city. Late Wednesday, the central government announced it was pulling out its troops after striking an accord for a ceasefire with local representatives. The video of Merhej Shahin's mistreatment had sparked widespread anger in the Druze heartland. According to his family, the octogenarian had been in the hands of armed groups after the video was filmed, though the exact circumstances were still unknown due to difficulties with communications. Agence France-Presse
Gulf Today
5 days ago
- Gulf Today
‘Japanese First' party is gaining support ahead of elections
Tim Kelly and John Geddie, Reuters An upstart party is gaining support ahead of elections in Japan by railing against a 'silent invasion' of immigrants, pushing the government to tackle fears about foreigners as it drags into the mainstream rhetoric once confined to the political fringe. Birthed on YouTube during the COVID-19 pandemic spreading conspiracy theories about vaccinations and a cabal of global elites, the party, Sanseito, is widening its appeal with a 'Japanese First' campaign ahead of Sunday's upper house vote. And while polls show it may only secure 10 to 15 of the 125 seats up for grabs, it is further eroding the support of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's shaky minority government increasingly beholden to opposition parties as it clings to power. "In the past, anyone who brought up immigration would be attacked by the left. We are getting bashed too, but are also gaining support," Sohei Kamiya, the party's 47-year-old charismatic leader, told Reuters in an interview. "The LDP and Komeito can't stay silent if they want to keep their support," Kamiya added, referring to Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party, which has ruled Japan for most of the past seven decades, and its junior coalition partner. Kamiya's message has grabbed voters frustrated with a weak economy and currency that has lured tourists in record numbers in recent years, further driving up prices that Japanese can ill-afford, political analysts say. The fast-ageing society has also seen foreign-born residents hit a record of about 3.8 million last year, although that is still just 3% of the total population, a tiny fraction compared to numbers in the United States and Europe. Kamiya, a former supermarket manager and English teacher, says he has drawn inspiration from US President Donald Trump's "bold political style". It remains to be seen whether he can follow the path of other far-right parties with which he has drawn comparisons, such as Germany's AFD and Reform UK. Yet the ingredients are there, said Jeffrey Hall, a lecturer at Tokyo's Kanda university who has studied Japan's right-wing politics, pointing to their online following, appeal among young men and warnings about immigration eroding indigenous cultures. "Anti-foreign sentiment that was considered maybe taboo to talk about so openly is now out of the box," he added. With immigration emerging as a top election issue, Ishiba this week unveiled a new government taskforce to fight "crimes and disorderly conduct" by foreign nationals and his party has promised to pursue "zero illegal foreigners". Polls show Ishiba's ruling coalition is likely to lose its majority in the upper house vote, in a repeat of elections last year in the more powerful lower house. While he is expected to limp on, his government may have to broaden its coalition or strike deals with other parties on policy matters, analysts say. Kamiya, who won the party's first seat in 2022 after having gained notoriety for appearing to call for Japan's emperor to take concubines, has tried to tone down some controversial ideas formerly embraced by the party. His election manifesto, for example, includes plans to cut taxes and increase child benefits, policies promoted by a raft of opposition parties that led investors to fret about Japan's fiscal health and massive debt pile. While Sanseito is the latest in a string of small far-right parties that have struggled for a foothold in Japan's staid politics, its online support suggests it may have staying power. Its YouTube channel has 400,000 followers, more than any other party on the platform and three times that of the LDP, according to There are still hurdles. Like right-wing parties in the US and Europe, Sanseito support skews heavily toward men in their twenties and thirties. Kamiya is trying to widen its appeal by fielding several female candidates such as the single-named singer Saya seen as likely to clinch a seat in Tokyo. Earlier in the campaign, Kamiya faced a backlash for branding gender equality policies a mistake, as they encourage women to work and keep them from having children. "Maybe because I am hot-blooded, that resonates more with men," Kamiya replied to a question on the party's greater appeal to men.
Gulf Today
5 days ago
- Gulf Today
Israeli strikes near Syrian army headquarters
The Israeli army launched a new round of strikes near the Syrian army and defence ministry headquarters on Wednesday, state-run television said, after Israel warned Damascus against targeting the Druze community. Syrian government forces had deployed in Sweida city in the country's south on Tuesday, clashing with Druze fighters who previously controlled the area. State television reported on Wednesday afternoon "a new aggression by the Israeli occupation air force in Umayyad Square, near the (military) headquarters building in central Damascus". A live broadcast by the Qatari channel Al Jazeera showed a series of air strikes on the headquarters, with smoke billowing into the sky and parts of the building damaged. State television had reported an earlier strike near the headquarters, which Israel's military said it had attacked. The Syrian health ministry said in a preliminary toll that nine people were wounded by the strikes. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz had warned on Wednesday that his country would start launching major attacks against Syria. "The signals to Damascus are over -- now come the painful blows," he said. The Israeli military would "operate forcefully" in Syria's southern Sweida region "to eliminate the forces that attacked the Druze until their full withdrawal", he added. Agence France-Presse
