Dominque Strauss-Kahn, head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), was arrested in New York City yesterday on charges of sexual assault of a female hotel worker.

Strauss-Kahn is a member of the Socialist Party in France and has been expected to be the potential Socialist candidate to challenge President Nicolas Sarkozy in the upcoming 2012 presidential election in France.  The arrest thus upsets the entire political landscape in France.

Le Monde reports on the arrest.  Libération reports on the arrest and on reactions within the Socialist Party.

For English-language news on the arrest: BBC provides an overview.  The Washington Post reports on the arrest and on the political fallout.

Students interested in French culture and European Union politics will be interested in this developing story.