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France: TV channel fined for reporting Bruni affair rumours
A Paris court has fined the France 24 news channel for repeating rumours that first lady Carla Bruni was having an affair with a French pop singer. Judges ordered the publicly-funded channel to pay 3,000 euros to the singer in question, Benjamin Biolay, following a ruling that the coverage violated his privacy. On April 6, it was reported that President Sarkozy has ordered a “campaign of terror” to punish those responsible for rumours which circulated last month on supposed extra-marital affairs by the French first couple reported in Britain and Switzerland. Lawyers for France 24 argued that it that exceptional level of international coverage made it a legitimate story to include in their press review. The court rejected this defence.