Suspected al-Qaida financier arrested in France

French authorities filed preliminary terrorism charges Tuesday against a Tunisian administrator of an extremist French website who is suspected of playing a key role in financing and recruiting for al-Qaida and other violent groups.

The announcement of the suspect's arrest was unusually dramatic and public for French authorities, but it did not spell out what evidence has been culled or how much money may have been involved, or provide the man's name. It is the first publicly announced suspected terrorist arrest since President Francois Hollande took office in May.

The suspect - whom prosecutors described as a "formidable financier of the bloodiest terrorist groups" - was questioned Tuesday by anti-terrorism Judge Marc Trevidic in Paris. (...)