https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from France in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed A French court on Friday rejected a request from Real Madrid and France striker Karim Benzema to drop the investigation into alleged blackmail over a sextape featuring international teammate Mathieu Valbuena, a lawyer said. https://www.thelocal.fr/20161216/french-court-rejects-benzema-request-to-drop-sextape-case Fri, 16 Dec 2016 10:59:21 +0100 french-court-rejects-benzema-request-to-drop-sextape-case Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane leapt to the defence of Karim Benzema after the striker's conduct was once again criticised in his homeland by French president Francois Hollande. https://www.thelocal.fr/20161017/real-madrids-zidane-furious-at-french-pms-benzema-jibe Mon, 17 Oct 2016 17:31:58 +0200 real-madrids-zidane-furious-at-french-pms-benzema-jibe French football chiefs have confirmed that Karim Benzema has been barred from their Euro 2016 squad over the sex tape blackmail scandal he is mired in. Although some are blaming the French PM. https://www.thelocal.fr/20160414/french-pm-blamed-after-benzema-axed-over-sex-tape Thu, 14 Apr 2016 09:37:09 +0200 french-pm-blamed-after-benzema-axed-over-sex-tape Karim Benzema could yet line up in the French team alongside Mathieu Valbuena, after legal restrictions linked to his involvement in a sex tape blackmail plot were lifted. https://www.thelocal.fr/20160311/benzema-free-to-play-for-france-despite-sex-tape-probe Fri, 11 Mar 2016 12:08:59 +0100 benzema-free-to-play-for-france-despite-sex-tape-probe The French Football Federation on Thursday indefinitely suspended star striker Karim Benzema because of criminal charges of involvement in a sex-tape blackmail attempt against teammate Mathieu Valbuena. https://www.thelocal.fr/20151210/france-suspends-benzema-from-national-team-over-sex-tape-charge Thu, 10 Dec 2015 17:19:54 +0100 france-suspends-benzema-from-national-team-over-sex-tape-charge Karim Benzema says his go-between role in the Mathieu Valbuena sextape blackmail case has been misunderstood as the Real Madrid striker prepares to explain himself on French TV on Wednesday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20151202/benzema-pleads-misunderstanding-in-sextape-blackmail-case Wed, 02 Dec 2015 16:58:31 +0100 benzema-pleads-misunderstanding-in-sextape-blackmail-case Mathieu Valbuena said Friday that France international teammate Karim Benzema "indirectly" told him he had to pay a ransom to get back a sex-tape of him with his girlfriend. https://www.thelocal.fr/20151127/benzema-indirectly-told-valbuena-to-pay-sex-tape-ransom Fri, 27 Nov 2015 15:22:58 +0100 benzema-indirectly-told-valbuena-to-pay-sex-tape-ransom Next year’s Euro 2016 Championships on home soil were meant to be the peak of Karim Benzema’s international career, but it now appears he may have played his last game for a France team that has once again been thrown into chaos. https://www.thelocal.fr/20151105/game-over-end-of-the-road-for-frances-benzema Thu, 05 Nov 2015 16:46:16 +0100 game-over-end-of-the-road-for-frances-benzema UPDATED: French football star Karim Benzema was charged on Thursday over his involvement with a plot to blackmail fellow French international Mathieu Valbuena after sex tape featuring the player found its way into the wrong hands. https://www.thelocal.fr/20151105/benzema-held-overnight-in-sex-tape-blackmail Thu, 05 Nov 2015 14:21:08 +0100 benzema-held-overnight-in-sex-tape-blackmail UPDATED: French football player Karim Benzema has been arrested over an alleged plot to blackmail fellow footballer Mathieu Valbuena with a sex tape, legal sources have said. https://www.thelocal.fr/20151104/french-footballer-karim-benzema-arrested-over-sextape-blackmail Wed, 04 Nov 2015 12:03:14 +0100 french-footballer-karim-benzema-arrested-over-sextape-blackmail A French court has dropped charges against Franck Ribéry and Karim Benzema, who were accused of knowingly having sex with an underage prostitute. The pair had faced lengthy prison sentences if convicted, so the decision is good news for French World Cup hopes. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140130/charges-dropped-in-ribery-benzema-call-girl-case Thu, 30 Jan 2014 14:54:00 +0100 charges-dropped-in-ribery-benzema-call-girl-case The criminal charges against French football stars Franck Ribéry and Karim Benzema were hanging by a thread on Wednesday. A surprise move may mean an abrupt end to the accusations the men had sex with a teenage prostitute. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140122/zahia-dehar-ribery-benzema-sex-prosecution-charges Wed, 22 Jan 2014 18:58:00 +0100 zahia-dehar-ribery-benzema-sex-prosecution-charges France go into their crucial World Cup qualifier against Belarus on Tuesday in desperate need of a win. But first things first, what Les Bleus require more than anythign is just a goal after failing to hit the net in five matches. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130910/france-in-desperate-need-of-a-goal Tue, 10 Sep 2013 11:07:00 +0200 france-in-desperate-need-of-a-goal French football stars Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema, went on trial on Tuesday, accused of paying to have sex with then underage call-girl Zahia Dehar. The process was adjourned until January, however, on a legal technicality. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130618/footballers-on-trial-over-underage-call-girl Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:02:00 +0200 footballers-on-trial-over-underage-call-girl France international striker Karim Benzema, who was allegedly caught speeding at 216kph along a road with a 100kph limit, is to be judged in court on March 26, the same day France play Spain in a key World Cup qualifier. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130228/frances-benzema-caught-speeding-at-216kph Thu, 28 Feb 2013 13:55:00 +0100 frances-benzema-caught-speeding-at-216kph