France, Sept. 14 -- Judges at the United Nations' highest court have handed France a legal victory in its long-running legal battle with Equatorial Guinea over a Paris mansion once owned by the son of PresidentTeodoro Obiang Nguema.

The International Court of Justice ruled on Friday that France does not have to hand back the luxurious residence on Avenue Foch - one of the French capital's most exclusive addresses - which it seized during a corruption probe into Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue. He is Equatorial Guinea's vice president and the son of long-time ruler Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.

The case was launched in 2022, with Equatorial Guinea accusing France of breaching international law by holding onto the property.

The government ...