François Fillon goes on trial for embezzlement of public funds

Former French presidential hopeful François Fillon will stand trial for embezzlement in the aftermath of a “fake” jobs scandal that destroyed his political career. Fillon, 65, who was on track to lead France in 2017, will appear in court with his Welsh-born wife, Penelope. They will deny accusations of misusing more than €1m (£840,000) of state money to pay Mrs Fillon in an allegedly non-existent role as the presidential candidate’s parliamentary assistant. The claims left Fillon’s political hopes and a public career spanning 35 years in tatters, changing the course of French politics. In early 2017, Fillon, the...