World News for Students of English

10-07-2026 07:00

A French court decided that political leader Marine Le Pen is guilty of taking public money, but the court changed her punishment.

Her old five-year ban from politics is now over, so she can legally run in the next presidential election in April 2027.

But there is still a big problem. The judge said Le Pen has to stay at home for one year and wear an electronic tag on her leg. Le Pen said before that she would not run for president if she had to wear this tag because she cannot travel and talk to people normally.

Now, Le Pen’s political party must hold a special meeting. If she decides to step down, her young partner Jordan Bardella will probably become the new candidate for the election.

Difficult words: guilty (when somebody does something wrong or illegal; or is responsible for a crime), punishment (a bad or difficult thing that someone must experience because they broke a rule or a law), tag (a small electronic object attached to a person’s body so that the police know exactly where they are), step down (to officially leave an important job, position, or political role).

You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.