Almost 200 years ago, Haiti (Saint-Dominigue) had to pay the equivalent of nearly €17 billion to France for an "independence debt" because of the money France lost after the slave revolt. Some people want France to pay it back.

French president Nicolas Sarkozy envies the size of Barack Obama's big ass presidential airplane, Air Force One, so much that he ordered a bigger plane, nicknamed Air Sarko One, for €176 million. Carla Bruni will be most impressed.

[French President Nicolas Sarkozy kisses his wife Carla Bruni during Bastille Day celebrations in Paris. Bastille Day, or Quatorze Juillet, is like the Fourth of July, but in France. And on the 14th. Pic via AP]

France's first lady is tres embarrassed that an old, raunchy episode of a talk show called Eurotrash has surfaced online. Now the French government is scrambling to get it yanked from YouTube. Here's what they don't want you to see.

According to a new book, Carla Bruni told the First Lady that she and President Sarkozy had made a head of state wait while they had sex. Michelle apparently "laughed nervously." Some situations, not even Michelle Obama can save. [ABC]

The walking tragedy that is LiLo takes a turn for the cringe-worthy. Charlie Sheen wants to quit his TV show. Michael Douglas laments his wilting libido. Tiger's kindergarten teacher has Gloria Allred on retainer and "feelings" to "express." TGIFriday gossip.

[Despite recent rumors, Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy looked quite happy leaving Columbia University today, where the French president gave a speech to students. Image via Getty]

Mon dieu, the French, they are so insatiable. Nicolas Sarkozy and his young, frequently nude ex-model wife Carla Bruni have both been accused by French magazine Suchablog.com (does that work in French?) of schtupping a Junior Minister and musician, respectively.

The man calling the shots at the new New York Times, Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, is celebrating his birthday today: He's 70. (Let's hope Arthur Sulzberger Jr. didn't forget to send a gift.) French president Nicolas Sarkozy is turning 55. Elijah Wood turns 29 today. Sarah McLachlan is 42. Alan Alda is turning 74. Writer/comedian Mo Rocca is 41. Liberal radio host Randi Rhodes is 51. Rick Warren, the controversial pastor and self-help author, is turning 56. The rapper Rakim turns 42. Former 'N Sync member Joey Fatone is 33. And former Backstreet Boy Nick Carter turns 30 today.

Here is the most powerful man in France, Nicolas Sarkozy, starring in a detergent ad circa 1967. Your fears are true, kids: Embarrassing things you do now will come back to embarrass you again decades later. [Telegraph via Adfreak]

The French do nepotism best: President Sarkozy's son may head group overseeing the financial district.

Julianne Moore crossing a street in the meatpacking district ... Amanda Seyfried kissing boyfriend Dominic Cooper during lunch at Bar Pitti ... Carla Bruni and Nicolas Sarkozy leaving a restaurant on Madison Avenue ... Whitney Port getting out of an SUV before an appearance on Regis & Kelly ... Hugh Jackman picking his daughter up from school ... Kirsten Dunst entering a courthouse downtown ... Ellen Barkin walking in the meatpacking district ... Queen Rania leaving the Sheraton Hotel ... Sara Paxton filming scenes for The Beautiful Life ... Deborah Lee Furness riding a scooter ... Shia LaBeouf walking downtown ... and Jessica Alba leaving a Clinton Global Initiative event at Cipriani 42nd Street.

• Poor J. Lo. She threw a big 40th birthday party for herself over the weekend and some guests actually had the nerve to show up late! [NYDN]
• It's been a rough ride for Kate Major, the former Star reporter who said she was Jon Gosselin were in love. On Saturday, Gosselin said he was single; on Sunday, the tabloids suggested Major was a former escort. So now she's supposedly planning to get revenge by writing a tell-all. [People, NYDN, NYDN]
• In other Gosselin news, he was seen buying himself $950 wingtips over the weekend, or "two pairs of shoes for each of his kids." [P6]
• Although they've been dating for months now (and haven't exactly been doing a very good job of keeping their relationship a secret), Kate Hudson and A-Rod went public with their romance on Saturday. [NYDN]

• A round up of eateries that recently opened, or will open this week. [Eater]
• Una Pizza Napoletana has closed its doors. It will become the first Manhattan outpost of the Williamsburg pizzeria Motorino in a few weeks. [NYT]
• Le Bernardin's Eric Ripert was tasked with cooking (beef, not fish) for French president Nicolas Sarkozy during his recent visit to New York. [P6]
• How to establish yourself as a regular at the restaurant of your choice. [GS]
• Summer "food crawls" through the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens. [NYDN]
• Not only is Padma Lakshmi is discussions to star in a NBC sitcom, but Mario Batali is joining the cast of Bitter Feast, a "darkly comic thriller." [Variety, GS]
• An extended interview with Aquavit's Marcus Samuelsson. [ObsesedTV]

Anne Hathaway walking in the East Village with boyfriend Adam Shulman, and later shopping in SoHo with a friend (left) ... Matt Damon leaving dinner at Da Silvano ... Jennifer Lopez shooting scenes for her new movie ... Robert Pattinson walking downtown ... comedian Robert Klein walking with his girlfriend on the Upper East Side ... Pierce Brosnan hanging out on the set of Remember Me ... Jon Gosselin standing outside Accademia di Vino on Third Avenue with Star reporter Kate Major ... Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni arriving at the Carlyle... and David Beckham leaving his hotel.

• New details have emerged about Mischa Barton's involuntary trip to the hospital last week: According to the Post and the Sun, Barton was "so high on coke following a marathon three-day bender" that friends thought she might kill herself, and contacted the police. [NYP, Sun]
• Yet another fashion publicist is in legal trouble, apparently. Tim Mark Garcia, the new head of public relations for Marc Jacobs, is out on bond on "plunder" charges and is now facing extradition back to the Philippines. [P6]
• Not surprisingly, billionaire financier Pete Peterson is said to be "mortified" over how his grandson, PC, has come off on the Bravo show NYC Prep. [P6]
• French president Nicolas Sarkozy was in NYC this weekend. And he showed off his "chiseled" body when he went jogging in Central Park. [NYDN]

Jon, Kate, and the Cabal of 8 hit the streets of New York and their crew's already beefing with people. Also, Robert Pattinson's a shitty tipper, 50 Cent's a shitty real estate buyer, Mischa Barton's sad and crazy. Happy Sunday!

Uh oh. Somebody's sleeping on the White House sofa when he gets home from the G8 Summit in Italy! And Matt Drudge is never going to let this die.

• CBS has released more footage from Morley Safer's interview with Anna Wintour from this Sunday's 60 Minutes. In this installment, Anna explains why she insists on wearing sunglasses indoors. (The answer: It's her "armor.") [CBS]
• Matthew Williamson's second collection for H&M arrived in stores today. [Racked]
• LVMH may be buying a stake in the green fashion line backed by Bono. [WSJ]
• A retrospective on fashion photographer Richard Avedon opens tomorrow at the International Center of Photography. Cathy Horyn looks back. [NYT]

• Olivia Palermo's imaginary career is on fire. The City star is reportedly leaving her "job" at DVF to "work" in the publicity department at Elle. So if you see anything in Elle that seems to have been ripped from another magazine, now you know who to blame. [P6]
• Jay-Z demanded a Maybach, champagne, "good quality" peanut butter and jelly, 12 shot glasses, and a pack of Marlboros—along with $750,000—before agreeing to perform at the University of Arizona last month. [SG, P6]
• Jesus Luz's dad says his son and Madonna "definitely" plan to tie the knot in a Kabbalah ceremony shortly. But Jesus won't have to bother signing a prenup since the marriage won't be legally binding. [NYDN]
• The good news for Amy Winehouse: She's reportedly no longer addicted to drugs. The bad: She's supposedly traded the drugs for booze. [OK!]
• Man of the people: Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein was spotted flying coach on a flight from New York to DC. [P6]