Girl born to French justice minsiter

PARIS, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- France's unmarried justice minister is a new mother and is maintaining her silence about the identity of the proud papa.

Rachida Dati, 43, delivered her first child, a girl named Zohra, by Caesarean section in Paris, The Daily Telegraph reported Saturday.

The British newspaper said the birth capped months of speculation in the French media after the Moroccon-born Dati announced her pregnancy last summer and stated she would have nothing to say about the father. There has been speculation the father could even be President Nicolas Sarkozy, despite her close relationship with France's former first lady, Cecilia Ciganer-Albeniz, whom Sarkozy divorced in October 2007. He married Carla Bruni in February 2008.

The French media has also speculated Dati will be given a new job in the Sarkozy administration sometime in the near future.