Catching a Dog of War
The week's news at a glance.
Paris
France’s most notorious mercenary, Bob Denard, was found guilty this week of launching a 1995 coup in the Comoros Islands. Denard and his accomplices claimed to be acting with the knowledge of the French government when they installed opposition leaders in the former French colony, but the court rejected that defense. One of the European mercenaries known as the Dogs of War, Denard has been involved in at least four coups in the Comoros, as well as several African wars during the 1960s and 1970s. He won’t serve time, though. The court suspended his five-year prison sentence because Denard, 76, suffers from Alzheimer’s.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Peter Mandelson called Epstein his 'best pal' in birthday note
Speed Read The UK's ambassador to Washington described the late convicted paedophile as an 'intelligent, sharp-witted man'
-
A Spinal Tap reunion, Thomas Pynchon by way of Paul Thomas Anderson and a harrowing Stephen King adaptation in September movies
the week recommends This month's new releases include 'Spinal Tap II,' 'One Battle After Another' and 'The Long Walk'
-
'Vampire energy' could be causing your electric bill to rise
Under the Radar Wasted energy could account for up to 10% of home use