Former French PM Balladur dies aged 97

Edouard Balladur, the former French prime minister, passed away in Paris on Monday at the age of 97, according to his family. Born in Turkey, Balladur served as president Francois Mitterrand's last prime minister from March 1993 to May 1995. During his tenure, he oversaw significant privatisations of state companies. Balladur also ran unsuccessfully for the presidency in 1995, losing to his rival, Jacques Chirac, who held the office until 2007.

President Emmanuel Macron remembered Balladur as a man who "had France at heart" and a "devoted servant of the nation," while former president Nicolas Sarkozy mourned the loss of an "example, a mentor and a friend." A private mass is set to be held for Balladur, though the specifics have not been disclosed.