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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 7 February 2017
French presidential hopeful Fillon refuses to drop out

ELAINE GANLEY Determined despite un-
Associated Press ending attacks, Fillon,
PARIS (AP) — Francois Fil- stressing his 32 years in poli-
lon on Monday defiantly tics, vowed to stay in the
refused to drop out of the race.
race to be France’s next “Nothing will turn me from
president despite an inves- my duty to be candidate in
tigation into whether well- the presidential election,”
paid political jobs he gave he said.
his wife, son and daughter Fillon apologized for em-
were genuine, a scandal ploying his wife, while not-
that has knocked him from ing that it is not illegal and
his perch as favorite in the he is not the only politician
April-May voting. to have done so.
The conservative politi- “What was acceptable
cian who served as prime yesterday ... is not today,”
minister from 2007 to 2012, Fillon said.
the chief workhorse under “It was a mistake. I deeply
then-President Nicolas Sar- regret it and I present my
kozy, has long had a repu- excuses to the French.”
tation as low-key, reliable French politicians are al-
and standing for moral lowed to hire family mem-
rectitude, making the cor- bers as aides as long as
ruption scandal particularly they actually do the jobs
shocking to his party, sup- for which they are paid. French conservative Francois Fillon leaves after a press conference at his campaign headquarters
porters and the French as Prosecutors are trying to in Paris, France, Monday, Feb. 6, 2017. Fillon is trying to save his presidential bid as prosecutors
a whole. On Monday, two determine whether Fil- investigate the political jobs he gave to his wife, son and daughter.
weeks after revelations first lon’s family members did (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
surfaced, he scrambled to the jobs of parliamenta- promise this year is to slash weeks following allega- was paid 830,000 euros
save his candidacy. ry aides. The preliminary half a million public-sector tions by the Canard En- ($900,000) over 15 years
“I have nothing to hide,” probe involves suspicions jobs. Fillon’s popularity has chaine newspaper that his without doing anything to
Fillon told a news confer- of embezzlement and mis- dropped in the past two Welsh-born wife Penelope earn the salary. q
ence aimed at stanch- appropriation of public
ing the blood-letting and funds.
conspiring within his party As prime minister and in his
about who might replace presidential campaign, Fil-
him as candidate. “All acts lon put the accent on cut-
described (in the media) ting back on government
are legal and transparent.” spending. A key campaign

UK Speaker: Trump shouldn’t be

allowed to address Parliament

JILL LAWLESS president.
Associated Press Bercow’s comments were
LONDON (AP) — The unusual because speakers
Speaker of Britain’s House in the British Parliament are
of Commons said Monday expected to remain above
that he strongly opposes the partisan fray. He is one
letting U.S. President Don- of the parliamentary of-
ald Trump address Parlia- ficials who would have to
ment during a state visit to agree on inviting a foreign
the U.K. dignitary to address law-
Speaker John Bercow’s un- makers and peers.
usual public intervention World leaders given the
makes it unlikely Trump will honor of making a speech
be given the honor during to both houses of Parlia-
his trip later this year. ment include Nelson Man-
Bercow told lawmakers he dela and Trump’s prede-
would have been against cessor, President Barack
extending the invitation Obama.
even before Trump’s tem- Bercow was cheered
porary ban on citizens of by opposition lawmak-
seven majority-Muslim na- ers when he said that, al-
tions entering the U.S. though Britain values its re-
He said that after the mi- lationship with the U.S., “our
grant ban was issued, “I opposition to racism and
am even more strongly op- to sexism, and our support
posed.” for equality before the law
Courts in the U.S. have sus- and an independent judi-
pended the ban, prompt- ciary, are hugely important
ing furious tweets from the considerations.”q